“And pleasant is the fairy land,
But, an eerie tale to tell,
Ay at the end of seven years,
We pay a tiend to hell,
I am sae fair and fu o flesh,
I’m feard it be mysel.”
— Tam Lin (Child Ballad #39A)

I wonder if he ever does tell her that tale, or if he does his best for the rest of his days not to think about it, or if it’s something in between.