OF BIRDALONE’S FLITTING FROM THE ISLE OF NOTHING.
On the morrow Birdalone arose betimes, and would not tarry despite all
the kindness of that folk and the change which had come over the Isle
of Nothing; so the friends saw her down to the boat all together, and
bore down with them a deal of bread and cheese and late apples of the
last year, for her provision on the road, and a pail of milk withal;
and men and women they kissed her at departure, and the meat-fetcher
said: If by any means thou mayst find a keel which will carry thee
hither, at some time, I would thou wouldst come; for even if thou be
old, and we passed away, yet here shall be our children or our
grandchildren to welcome thee; and we will tell them the tale of thee
that they remember it and long for thee.
Then Birdalone kissed her again, and made much of her, and so stepped
into the boat, and fell to her sacrifice to the wight thereof; and
those others stared at her and wondered, and spake nought unto her till
she was gone gliding over the face of the waters; but as they walked
back to the house, they spake amongst themselves that this must be some
goddess (for of Holy Church they knew nought) who had come to visit
them in her loveliness; and in after times, when this folk waxed a
many, and tilled all the isle and made ships and spread to other lands
and became great, they yet had a memory of Birdalone as their own very
lady and goddess, who had come from the fertile and wise lands to bless
them, when first they began to engender on that isle, and had broken
bread with them, and slept under their roof, and then departed in a
wonderful fashion, as might be looked for of a goddess.
But as for Birdalone, she came not back ever, nor saw that folk again,
and now she sped over the water toward the Isle of Kings.