the very track of their footsteps, and he took the horse and
brought him back to the thorn, and stood by the lady and
reddened, and said: "I must tell thee what I have been
doing these last minutes."

"Yea," said she, looking at him wonderingly, "hast thou not
been fetching my horse to me?"

"So it is," said he; "but something else also. Ask me, or I
cannot tell thee."

She laughed, and said: "What else, fair sir?"

Said he: "Ask me what, or I cannot tell thee."

"Well, what, then?" said she.

He answered, stammering and blushing: "I have been looking
at thy foot prints, whereby thou camest up from the water,
to see what new and fairer blossoms have come up in the
meadow where thy feet were set e'en now."

She answered him nothing, and he held his peace. But in a
while she said: "If thou wouldst have us come to thine
house, thou shalt lead us thither now." And therewith she
took her foot-gear from out of her girdle, as if she would
do it on, and he turned his face away, but sighed therewith.
Then she reddened and put them back again, and rose up
lightly, and said: "I will go afoot; and wilt thou lead the
horse for me?"