Now this news was quite enough to cure the squire’s son of his fall, so jumping to his feet, he followed the staring owl and the Man of the Wildwood to the refuge of Miranda.
You may be sure that Miranda rejoiced to see the squire’s son! As for the thieves, they came upon them standing terror-stricken, huddled together in the heart of a wide circle of watching, silent, flame-eyed animals. Creepers and vines had seized upon them as they fled, and bound their arms behind with leafy fetters.
Suddenly a friendly whinny was heard, and the dappled steed, guided by a benevolent badger, came trotting through the wildwood to its master. To lift Miranda to the saddle was but a moment’s task. The three thieves walking ahead, Miranda riding, and the youth and the Man of the Wildwood following behind, even thus went the little company through the forest dark to the edge of the wildwood.
Morning was at hand; only the brighter stars were left in the wide and cloudless sky; presently the dawn broke over the green horizon of the trees.
Arriving at the bound of the forest, the Man of the Wildwood lifted his arm once more in token of farewell, and with his animals clustered about him, watched his friends till they vanished down the road.
Presently the domes and towers of the city of glass rose before the little company. A swirling autumn mist lay over the fields between the wildwood and the city walls, the sky was rosy overhead, and hundreds of little bells were ringing.
Pausing at the eastern gate, the squire’s son delivered the thieves to the yeomen of the guard.
On the following morning the three rogues, brought to trial, declared the innocence of Miranda, confessed their wickedness, and restored the moonstone. A stern sentence was justly theirs; but so pleased was the king at the return of his jewel that he merely condemned them to road-mending for a number of years. To Miranda the king gave a rich reward, to the squire’s son, a fair house whose windows looked forth on the treetops of the wildwood.
And thus it came to pass that the squire’s son married the good Miranda, and lived happily with his dear wife and little ones many a long and pleasant year.