Page "Tam Lin" Paragraph 5

She asks him whether he was ever human, either after that reappearance, or in some variants, immediately after their first meeting resulted in her pregnancy.

He reveals that he was a mortal man, who, after falling from his horse, was rescued and captured by the Queen of Fairies.

Every seven years, the fairies give one of their people as a teind ( tithe ) to Hell and Tam fears he will become the tithe that night, which is Hallowe ' en.

He is to ride as part of a company of knights, and Janet will recognise him by the white horse upon which he rides and by other signs.

He warns her that the fairies will attempt to make her drop him by turning him into all manner of beasts ( see Proteus ), but that he will do her no harm.

When he is finally turned into a burning coal, she is to throw him into a well, whereupon he will reappear as a naked man and she must hide him.

Janet does as she is asked and wins her knight.

The Queen of Fairies is angry but acknowledges defeat.