Under the Eildon tree Thomas met the lady
Now Thomas did not wish to lose sight of so fair a lady.
'Go not back to Elfland; stay by my side under the Eildon tree,' he pleaded.
'Nay,' said the Queen of Elfland, 'should I stay with thee, a mortal, my fairness would fade as fades a leaf.'
But Thomas did not believe her, and, for he was a bold man, he drew near and kissed the rosy lips of the Elfland Queen.
Alas, alas! no sooner had he kissed her than the lady fair changed into a tired old woman.
She no longer wore a skirt of beautiful green, but a long robe of hodden grey covered her from head to foot. The light, bright as the summer sun that had shone around her, faded, and her face grew pale and thin. Her eyes no longer danced for joy, they gazed dull and dim before her. And on one side of her head the long black hair had changed to grey.