Once Upon a Time and Other Child-Verses. Freeman Mary Eleanor Wilkins

      Then forth to his garden he went one day,

      And the fairy plant was dead;

      The leaves were black in the white frost-

      light,

      And the stalk was a shrivelled shred.

      "Now, never a rose like a golden ball,

      Nor a silver lily shall blow;

      But never I'll mind, for I'm sure to find

      More gold, if I work, I know."

      Then he tenderly pulled up the fairy plant,

      And lo, in the frosty mould,

      Like a star from the skies to his dazzled eyes,

      Was blazing a bulb of gold!

      "Now," – cling, clang, – "whoa, my bonny

      gray mare!

      Or gallop or trot, as ye may!

      This happy old smith will shoe ye no more,

      For he sits at his ease, all day! "

      The rose is red, the violet's blue,

      Pinks are pretty, and so are you."

      THE rose is red, my rosy dear;

      But that you as yet hardly know,

      Since you have only been with us

      Four of the times when roses blow.

      The violet's blue, my blue-eyed love;

      Yet that, perhaps, you hardly knew,

      Since you have only four times passed

      The violets in their hoods of blue.

      The pinks are pretty, baby queen,

      And so are you; but that, also,

      From being here so short a time,

      Perhaps you've hardly learned to know.

      BEYOND the purple gloom of moors,

      Beyond the blueness of the sea,

      Beyond the range of chalk-white cliffs,

      The sun was setting peacefully.

      The fairy, on a grassy knoll,

      Sat dreaming, singing to the cows:

      "Knee-deep in clumps of plumy ferns,

      Knee-deep in rustling grasses browse!

      "The chieftain slays his foeman's clan,

      The lady broiders in the hall;

      I sit here singing to the cows,

      And am the gayest one of all!

      "Now of the clumps of spicy fern,

      Now of the juicy grasses taste!"

      The fairy wore a grass-green gown,

      With golden girdle at her waist;

      Her winsome little face upturned,

      Her soft gold hair all round her streamed;

      Her small pink cheeks like roses burned,

      Her wild blue eyes like jewels beamed.

      She struck a little harp o' pearl,

      As to the browsing kine she sung:

      All lightly o'er the fairy bridge

      Beyond, a bonnie laddie sprung.

      He had Prince Charlie's yellow locks,

      His gay blue eyes and lovesome way:

      Son of the great Macleod was he —

      The castle just beyond him lay.

      The fairy lilted loud and sweet,

      The laddie turned him round to see;

      She lifted up her little face,

      And sweet, and sweet, and sweet, smiled

      she.

      The laddie thro' the heather

      ran,

      His tartan blowing out behind,

      The little fairy, gowned in green,

      Wi' little harp o' pearl, to find.

      And since you are a mortal bairn,

      And yet have shunned me not," she said,

      A fairy gift I'll give to thee,

      To-morrow, when the west is red.

      "And since you have a bonny face,

      I'll give to thee a fairy kiss,

      To take the bitter from thy woe,

      And add a sweetness to thy bliss."

      She kissed the laddie's blushing cheek,

      And all the air grew sweet around,

      As if a million flowers bloomed out —

      And then she vanished from the ground.

      The western sky all roses was,

      And round the "Macleod's Maidens'" feet

      Foam-wreaths to wreaths of roses turned.

      The fairy lilted loud and sweet;

      The laddie o'er the fairy bridge,

      Came running lightly to her side:

      "And have you brought the fairy gift

      You promised me last night?" he cried.

      The flag was green as springtide sward

      What time the sun upon it lies,

      And shot with threads of glittering gold,

      And filled with spots of gold, like eyes.

      She put it in the laddie's hand:

      "Once waved, 'twill bring thee thy desire,

      And twice, and thrice – but not again;

      Then cast it, worthless, in the fire!"

      A shadow o'er her gown o' green,

      A shadow o'er her winsome face,

      A shadow o'er her golden hair,

      Came softly creeping on apace.

      The fairy through the shadow shone,

      And struck her little harp o' pearl;

      Then vanished in the shadow's heart,

      Wi' golden and wi' rosy swirl.

      The laddie held the fairy flag,

      Alone in twilight gray and cold;

      And stood and looked, his wond'ring eyes

      All filled with dancing motes of gold.

      The laddie's yellow beard had grown;

      He'd wedded with a lady fair;

      And he had