Wife of the Thain: Old Tales of the Shire

"In winter when the fields are white... In spring when the woods are getting green... In summer when the days are long... In Autumn when the leaves are brown..."

- Humpty Dumpty's Recitation, by Lewis Carroll.

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At least he decided he could live no longer alone.

He journeyed back to the lake that had held such a sweet promise, and waited. For many months, he waited. Winter came, and froze him. Spring came, and cheered him. Summer came, and burned him. The world around him changed from glistening white, to pale jade, to rich emerald life. Snow fell, rain fell, and the wind blew softly. Every minute was as an hour, every hour as a day, and every day as a year.

Autumn’s Eve came, and a silver swan landed upon the lake.