THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW

AND where have you been, my Mary,

And where have you been from me?"
I have been to the top of the Caldon-Low
The midsummer night to see!"

"And what did you see, my Mary,
All up on the Caldon-Low?"
"I saw the blithe sunshine come down,
And I saw the merry winds blow."

"And what did you hear, my Mary,
All up on the Caldon-Hill?"

"I heard the drops of the water made,
And the ears of the green corn fill."

"Oh, tell me all, my Mary,—
All, all that ever you know;
For you must have seen the fairies
Last night on the Caldon-Low."

"Then take me on your knee, mother;
And listen, mother of mine:

A hundred fairies danced last night,
And the harpers they were nine.

THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW

“And their harp strings rung so merrily

To their dancing feet so small:

But oh, the words of their talking

Were merrier far than all."

"And what were the words, my Mary,"
That then you heard them say?"
"I'll tell you all, my mother;
But let me have my way.

"Some of them 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 will the miller be
At dawning of the day.

Oh, the miller, how he will laugh
When he sees the mill-dam rise!
The jolly old miller, how he will laugh
Till the tears fill both his eyes!'

And some they seized the little winds
That sounded o'er the hill;

And each put a horn into his mouth,
And blew both loud and shrill.

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THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW

"And there,' they said, ' the merry winds go

Away from every horn;

And they shall clear the mildew dark

From the blind old widow's corn.

"Oh, the poor, blind widow,

Though she has been blind so long,
She'll be blithe enough when the mildew's gone,
And the corn stands tall and strong.'

"And some they brought the brown lintseed,
And flung it down from the Low;
'And this,' they said, 'by the sunrise,
In the weaver's croft shall grow.

"Oh, the poor, lame weaver,
How he will laugh outright
When he sees his dwindling flaxfield
All full of flowers by night!'

"And then outspoke a brownie,
With a long beard on his chin:
'I have spun up all the tow,' said he,
'And I want some more to spin.

"I spun a piece of hempen cloth,
And I want to spin another;

A little sheet for Mary's bed,

And an apron for her mother.'

THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW

“With that I could not help but laugh,
And I laughed out loud and free;
And then on the top of the Caldon-Low
There was no one left but me.

"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 coming down from the hill-top

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, sure enough, were seen

The yellow ears of the mildewed corn
All standing stout and green.

"And down by the weaver's croft I stole,
To see if the flax were sprung;

And I met the weaver at his gate
With the good news on his tongue.

"Now this is all I heard, mother,

And all that I did see;

So, prythee, make my bed, mother,

For I'm tired as I can be."

151

MARY HOWITT.

SING

THE OAK TREE

for the oak tree,

The monarch of the wood;

Sing for the oak tree

That groweth green and good;
That groweth broad and branching,
Within the forest shade;

That groweth now, and yet shall grow
When we are lowly laid.

The oak tree was an acorn once,
And fell upon the earth;

And the sun and showers nourished it,
And gave the oak tree birth.
The little sprouting oak tree!

Two leaves it had at first,

Till sun and showers had nourished it,

Then out the branches burst.

The little sapling oak tree!

Its roots are like a thread,
Till the kindly earth had nourished it,
Then out it freely spread.

On this side and on that side

It grappled with the ground, And in the ancient rifted rock

Its firmest footing found.

MARY HOWITT.