 | The pink book |  |
39
A FABLE.
It was a sleepy summer day,
Softly cooed the brooding dove,
On a bank of lilies lay
The rosy god of love.
Softly cooed the brooding dove,
On a bank of lilies lay
The rosy god of love.
He heard a sweet song overhead,
He heard the tinkling streamlet creep,
Drowsy by their music made,
At length he fell asleep.
He heard the tinkling streamlet creep,
Drowsy by their music made,
At length he fell asleep.
A butterfly with wings of flame
Found out his hiding dim,
All the woodland children came
To take a peep at him.
Found out his hiding dim,
All the woodland children came
To take a peep at him.
Soft songs they sang, soft rhymes they said,
And a crimson-hearted rose
On his eyes an essence shed,
To sweeten his repose.
And a crimson-hearted rose
On his eyes an essence shed,
To sweeten his repose.
Then there came two to walk the wood—
A knight and a faire ladie;
They saw this life that it was good,
And laughed out loud and free.
A knight and a faire ladie;
They saw this life that it was good,
And laughed out loud and free.
40
And mid their laughter chancing near
This lily-haunted nook,
Straight the wood-folk fled in fear,
Straight the god awoke;
This lily-haunted nook,
Straight the wood-folk fled in fear,
Straight the god awoke;
And at sight of that careless two
In anger seizing bow and darts
With a cunning skill and true
Shot pain into their hearts.
In anger seizing bow and darts
With a cunning skill and true
Shot pain into their hearts.
| The pink book | |