It was a sight to make one sad, and Thomas, as he gazed, cried, as well he might, 'Alas, alas!'
'Thyself hast sealed thy doom, Thomas,' cried the lady. 'Thou must come with me to Elfland. Haste thou therefore to bid farewell to sun and moon, to trees and flowers, for, come weal, come woe, thou must e'en serve me for a twelvemonth.'
Then Thomas fell upon his knees and prayed to Mary mild that she would have pity upon him.
But when he arose the Queen of Elfland bade him mount behind her, and Thomas could do nought save obey her command.
Her steed flew forward, the Eildon hills opened, and horse and riders were in the caverns of the earth.
Thomas felt darkness close around him. On they rode, on and yet on; swift as the wind they rode. Water reached to his knee, above and around him was darkness, and ever and anon the booming of the waves.
For three days they rode. Then Thomas grew faint with hunger and cried, 'Woe is me, I shall die for lack of food.'
As he cried, the darkness grew less thick, and they were riding forward into light. Bright sunlight lay around them as they rode toward a garden. It was a garden such as Thomas had never seen on earth.
All manner of fruit was there, apples and pears, dates and damsons, figs and currants, all ripe, ready to be plucked. In this beautiful garden, too, there were birds, nightingales building their nests, gay popinjays flitting hither and thither among the trees, thrushes singing their sweetest songs.
But these Thomas neither saw nor heard. Thomas had eyes only for the fruit, and he thrust forth his hand to pluck it, so hungry, so faint was he.