What with one thing, what with another, as his having to turn out of
his way for sheer rocks, or for slopes so steep that he might not
try the peril of them, and again for bogs impassable, he was fully
three days more before he had quite come out of the stony waste, and
by that time, though he had never lacked water, his scanty victual
was quite done, for all his careful husbandry thereof. But this
troubled him little, whereas he looked to find wild fruits here and
there and to shoot some small deer, as hare or coney, and make a
shift to cook the same, since he had with him flint and fire-steel.
Moreover the further he went, the surer he was that he should soon
come across a dwelling, so smooth and fair as everything looked
before him. And he had scant fear, save that he might happen on men
who should enthrall him.

But when he was come down past the first green slopes, he was so
worn, that he said to himself that rest was better than meat, so
little as he had slept for the last three days; so he laid him down
under an ash-tree by a stream-side, nor asked what was o'clock, but
had his fill of sleep, and even when he awoke in the fresh morning
was little fain of rising, but lay betwixt sleeping and waking for
some three hours more; then he arose, and went further down the next
green bent, yet somewhat slowly because of his hunger-weakness. And
the scent of that fair land came up to him like the odour of one
great nosegay.

So he came to where the land was level, and there were many trees,
as oak and ash, and sweet-chestnut and wych-elm, and hornbeam and
quicken-tree, not growing in a close wood or tangled thicket, but
set as though in order on the flowery greensward, even as it might
be in a great king's park.