Once Upon a Time and Other Child-Verses. Freeman Mary Eleanor Wilkins
is but a bootless thing.
A spell is laid upon our minds,
Our thoughts are tossed as by the winds,
And deeper o'er our senses swells
The music of those silver bells!
Return, oh, king, ere 'tis
late;
The Wise Man by the
palace gate
Will give to thee his
kindly aid,
So shalt thou find the
royal maid."
They galloped back o'er hill and dale,
Silver bells are ringing;
In soft gusts came the southern gale,
Silver bells are ringing.
The trembling king knelt down before
The Wise Man at the palace-door:
"Oh, Wise Man! art thou truly wise —
Find out my child with thy bright eyes!"
"Thy daughter clings to carven stone,
White dove-wings from her shoulders
grown;
In downy dove-plumes is she drest;
They shine like jewels on her breast;
She sits beneath the minster eaves,
Amongst the clustering ivy leaves."
"She was so full of angel-love,"
Silver bells are ringing;
"They could but make her a white dove,"
Silver bells are ringing.
The king stood 'neath the minster wall,
And loudly on his child did call.
A snow-white dove beneath the eaves,
Looked down from 'mongst the ivy leaves,
Then flew down to the monarch's breast,
And, sorely panting, there did rest.
Then spake the Wise Man by his side:
"Oh, king, canst thou subdue thy pride,
And hang thy crown beneath the eaves,
Amongst the clustering ivy leaves
"In thine unhappy daughter's place?"
Silver bells are ringing;
"For thus she'll find her maiden grace,"
Silver bells are ringing.
The jewels in the royal
crown,
Out from the dark
green ivy shone!
The white dove softly
folds her wings,
Then lightly to the ground
she springs —
A princess, sweeter than before,
For being a white dove an hour.
They went home through the happy town,
The king forgot his royal crown,
And soon, beneath the minster eaves,
'Twas hidden by the ivy leaves.
A-BERRYING
NOW Susan Jane a-berrying goes,
With her dipper and pail a-berry-
ing goes —
Now Susan Jane creeps dolefully home, and
mournfully hangs her head;
For she tumbled down and bumped her
nose,
She tore her frock and she stubbed her toes,
And the blueberries all were green, alas! and
the blackberries all were red!
TWO MOODS
MEADOWS shadowy and sunny,
Pink with clover, sweet with honey,
Green with grass that shakes and swings,
Rustling 'till it almost sings,
From her open window show
For a pleasant mile or so.
She with earnest, pensive look,
Bending o'er an open book,
Her own happy self forgets
Following a story-child's
Pretty pleasures and regrets.
Straightening up her golden head,
Now she sees the fields instead,
Where the grass and clover stir,
And her glad self and her day
Radiantly come back to her.
THE THREE MARGERY DAWS
SEE-SAW, see-saw, up and down we gay-
ly go!
See-saw, see-saw, such a lovely teeter, O!
See-saw, see-saw,
grass across a daisy-stalk —
Up and down the robins teetered with their
silvery talk.
See-saw, see-saw! robins, they know how to
play
See-saw, see-saw, as well as children any day;
See-saw, see-saw! lads and lassies, don't you
know,
Grass across a daisy-stalk makes a lovely
teeter, O!
A LITTLE SEAMSTRESS
SHE sat in her little rocking-chair, a-sigh-
ing and twirling her thumbs:
"Oh, everything for my doll is done, and
never to mending comes!
I haven't a morsel of sewing! – dear mother,
in all the town,
Can't you find me one doll, no matter how
small, who will wear out her gown?"
THE GOLDEN SLIPPERS
MY lady's ready for the ball;
But she's lost her golden slippers,
And the servants scurry all,
From the pantry, from the hall,
Brooms in hand, and spoons and dippers.
Ah, my lady's golden slippers!
Footman, cook, and housemaid – run!
Hunt ye nimbly, every one!
Round they whirl, the lightsome trippers,
And the music has begun:
Ah, my lady's golden slippers!
Hurry, hurry; for she yet,
If ye find her golden slippers,
May lead off the minuet
With the Prince of Popinet,
Foremost of the stately steppers.
Ah, my lady's golden slippers!
Guess ye where they found them all!
Dancing bravely at the ball,
Of themselves, these frisky slippers,
Wheeling