to their wains, and go fair and softly whither they would. But the
said oxen and all their neat were exceeding big and fair, far other
than the little beasts of the Shepherd-Folk; they were either dun of
colour, or white with black horns (and those very great) and black
tail-tufts and ear-tips. Asses they had, and mules for the paths of
the mountains to the east; geese and hens enough, and dogs not a few,
great hounds stronger than wolves, sharp-nosed, long-jawed, dun of
colour, shag-haired.

As to their wares; they were very deft weavers of wool and flax, and
made a shift to dye the thrums in fair colours; since both woad and
madder came to them good cheap by means of the merchants of the plain
country, and of greening weeds was abundance at hand. Good smiths
they were in all the metals: they washed somewhat of gold out of the
sands of the Weltering Water, and copper and tin they fetched from
the rocks of the eastern mountains; but of silver they saw little,
and iron they must buy of the merchants of the plain, who came to
them twice in the year, to wit in the spring and the late autumn just
before the snows. Their wares they bought with wool spun and in the
fleece, and fine cloth, and skins of wine and young neat both steers
and heifers, and wrought copper bowls, and gold and copper by weight,
for they had no stamped money. And they guested these merchants
well, for they loved them, because of the tales they told them of the
Plain and its cities, and the manslayings therein, and the fall of
Kings and Dukes, and the uprising of Captains.

Thus then lived this folk in much plenty and ease of life, though not
delicately nor desiring things out of measure. They wrought with
their hands and wearied themselves; and they rested from their toil
and feasted and were merry: to-morrow was not a burden to them, nor