Gray was not insistent; nevertheless, before long they were on their way toward the glen.
It was a glorious morning, the forest was beautiful, and as the two strolled through it Ma's companion told her many things about trees and flowers and birds and bees that she had never dreamed of.

Now Gray's natural history was shockingly inaccurate, nevertheless it was interesting, and it was told in a manner both whimsical and sprightly.
He made up outrageous stories, and he took no shame in seriously recounting experiences of his own that Ma knew were wholly imaginary.
She told him, finally: "Sakes alive! You're as crazy as I am." This he denied with spirit.

Forests were enchanted places, and trolls dwelt in the mountains.

There was no question about that; most people never took time to see them, that was all.

Now as for him, he had actually beheld naiads and dryads, nixies and pixies, at play--at least he had practically been upon the point of seeing them.