THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW A By MARY HOWITT ND where have you been, my Mary, And where have you been from me?” "I've been to the top of the Caldon-Low, The midsummer night to see!" "And what did you see, my Mary, "And what did you hear, my Mary, "Oh, tell me all, my Mary- "Then take me on your knee, mother, "And merry was the glee of the harp-strings, But, oh! the sound of their talking "And what were the words, my Mary, That you did hear them say?" "I'll tell you all, my mother, But let me have my way. "And some they played with the water, And rolled it down the hill; 'And this,' they said, 'shall speedily turn The poor old miller's mill; "For there has been no water Ever since the first of May; And a busy man shall the miller be By the dawning of the day! 'Oh, the miller, how he will laugh, The jolly old miller, how he will laugh, "And some they seized the little winds, That sounded over the hill, And each put a horn into his mouth, ""And there,' said they, 'the merry winds go Away from every horn; And those shall clear the mildew dank From the blind old widow's corn: "Oh, the poor blind widow Though she has been blind so long, She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone, And the corn stands stiff and strong!' "And some they brought the brown linseed, And flung it down from the Low; 'And this,' said they, 'by the sunrise, In the weaver's croft shall grow! "Oh, the poor lame weaver! How will he laugh outright "And then up spoke a brownie, "I've spun a piece of hempen cloth, "And with that I could not help but laugh, “And all on the top of the Caldon-Low The mists were cold and gray, And nothing I saw but the mossy stones That round about me lay. "But as I came down from the hilltop, I heard, afar below, How busy the jolly miller was, And how merry the wheel did go. "And I peeped into the widow's field, "And down by the weaver's croft I stole, To see if the flax were high; But I saw the weaver at his gate "Now, this is all that I heard, mother, And all that I did see; So, prithee, make my bed, mother, For I'm tired as I can be!" WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST? "TO By L. MARIA CHILD NO-WHIT! to-whit! to-whee! Who stole four eggs I laid, "Not I," said the cow; "Mo0-00! "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! "Not I," said the dog; "Bow-wow! I wouldn't be so mean, anyhow! I gave hairs the nest to make, But the nest I did not take. Not I," said the dog; "Bow-wow! I'm not so mean, anyhow." |