y asked him
questions about his own country, yet no word dared Thomas answer.

Then arose great revelry and feasting in the castle of the Elfin
Queen.

Harps and fiddles played their wildest and most gladsome tunes,
knights and ladies danced, and all went merry as a marriage bell.

Across the hall Thomas looked, and there a strange sight met his
glance. Thirty harts and as many deer lay on the oaken floor, and
bending over them, their knives in their hands, were elfin cooks,
making ready for the feast. Thomas wondered if it were but a
dream, so strange seemed the sights he saw.

Gaily passed the days, and Thomas had no wish to leave the
strange Elfland. But a day came when the queen said to Thomas,
'Now must thou begone from Elfland, Thomas, and I, myself, will
ride with you back to your own country.'

'Nay now, but three days have I dwelt in thy realm,' said Thomas,
'with but little cheer. Give me leave to linger yet a little
while.'

'Indeed, indeed, Thomas,' cried the Queen of Elfland, 'thou hast
been with me for seven long years and more, but now thou must
away ere the dawn of another day. To-morrow there comes an evil
spirit from the land of darkness to our fair realm. He comes each
year to claim our most favoured and most courteous guest, and it
will be thou, Thomas, thou, whom he will wish to carry to his
dark abode. But we tarry not his coming. By the light of the moon
we ride to-night to the land of thy birth.'

Once again the lady fair mounted her white palfrey, and Thomas
rode behind until she brought him safe back to the Eildon tree.

There, under the leaves of the greenwood, while the little birds
sang their lays, the Queen of Elfland said farewell to Thomas.

'Farewell, Thomas, farewell, I may no longer stay with thee.'

'Give me a token,' pleaded Thomas, 'a token ere thou leavest me,
that mortals may know that I have in truth been with thee in
Elfland.'

'Take with thee, then,' said the lady, 'take with thee the gift
of harp and song, and likewise the power to tell that which will
come to pass in future days. Nor ever shall thy tales be false,
Thomas, for I have taken from thee the power to speak aught save
only what is true.'

She turned to ride away, away to Elfland. Then Thomas was sad,
and tears streamed from his grey eyes, and he cried, 'Tell me,
lady fair, shall I never meet thee more?'

'Yea,' said the Elf Queen, 'we shall meet again, Thomas. When
thou art in thy castle of Ercild