MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. "But fill thy little apron, My child, with earnest speed; And that thou break no living bough Within the wood, take heed. "For they are spiteful brownies "But think not, little Mabel, "And when thou goest to the spring "For the queen of all the fairies, "But she's a gracious lady, And her thou need'st not fear; Only disturb thou not the stream, Nor spill the water clear." "Now all this I will heed, mother, Will no word disobey, And wait upon the grandmother This livelong summer day." 21 22 MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. PART II. AWAY tripped little Mabel, With the wheaten cake so fine, And long before the sun was hot, And all her mother's message She told with right good-will, And then she swept the hearth up clean, "And go now," said the grandmother, And bring in water for the day, - The first time that good Mabel went, Nothing at all saw she, Except a bird, a sky-blue bird, That sat upon a tree. The next time that good Mabel went, Beside the well, —a lady small, All clothed in green and white. MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. A courtesy low made Mabel, "Thou art a handy maiden," The fairy lady said; "Thou hast not spilt a drop, nor yet The fairy spring troubled! "And for this thing which thou hast done, Yet mayst not understand, I give to thee a better gift Than houses or than land. "Thou shalt do well whate'er thou dost, Shalt have the will and power to please, Thus having said, she passed from sight, But the little bird, the sky-blue bird, "And now go," said the grandmother, Away went kind, good Mabel, Into the fir-wood near, Where all the ground was dry and brown, 23 24 MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. She did not wander up and down, And when the wild-wood brownies But all that while the brownies They watched her how she picked the wood, "And, O, but she is small and neat," Said one; "'t were shame to spite A creature so demure and meek, A creature harmless quite !" "Look only," said another, "At her little gown of blue; At her kerchief pinned about her head, "O, but she is a comely child," With that the smallest penny, MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. With joy she picked the penny up, And with her fagots dry and brown "Now she has that," said the brownies, "Let flax be ever so dear, 'T will buy her clothes of the very best, For many and many a year!" "And go now," said the grandmother, All down into the lonesome glen, 25 Through moist rank grass, by trickling streams, Went on the willing child. And when she came to the lonesome glen, She kept beside the burn, And neither plucked the strawberry-flower Nor broke the lady-fern. And while she milked the mother-ewe Within this lonesome glen, She wished that little Amy Were strong and well again. And soon as she had thought this thought, She heard a coming sound, As if a thousand fairy-folk Were gathering all around. |