 | Tales in Verse for Young People |  |
113
MAY FAIR.
There is a town in Staffordshire,
That I was born and bred in,
And dear May fair can make it gayer,
Than even a royal wedding.
That I was born and bred in,
And dear May fair can make it gayer,
Than even a royal wedding.
Come, I'll live o'er my youth again:
Life has enough of sorrow;
From by-gone things we'll mirth obtain,
And think of care to-morrow.
Life has enough of sorrow;
From by-gone things we'll mirth obtain,
And think of care to-morrow.
Come, we'll be drest all in our best;
For hark, the bells are ringing;
And there's no sign of rain to-day,
And all the birds are singing.
For hark, the bells are ringing;
And there's no sign of rain to-day,
And all the birds are singing.
114
With happy folks beside us then,
Their smiles like summer weather;
See how the women and the men
Come trooping in together.
Their smiles like summer weather;
See how the women and the men
Come trooping in together.
And some come with a hobbling gait,
And some come tripping proudly,
And some come looking quite sedate,
And some come laughing loudly.
And some come tripping proudly,
And some come looking quite sedate,
And some come laughing loudly.
All come that can; each farming man
His best blue coat is wearing,
And cart and gig, and shandry-dan,
Bring fine folks to the fair in.
His best blue coat is wearing,
And cart and gig, and shandry-dan,
Bring fine folks to the fair in.
And little lads, brimful of glee,
With hands their pockets thrust in;
And trousers turned up neatly, see,
To keep their shoes from dusting.
With hands their pockets thrust in;
And trousers turned up neatly, see,
To keep their shoes from dusting.
Now crowd they all amid the rout,
As full of mirth as any,
Each looking eagerly about
To spend his fairing penny.
As full of mirth as any,
Each looking eagerly about
To spend his fairing penny.
115
And this will buy a cow and calf—
But this of cakes is fonder;
And these will go to see the Dwarf,
And those the Giant yonder.
But this of cakes is fonder;
And these will go to see the Dwarf,
And those the Giant yonder.
And roving round, see happy folks,
With sunny, country faces;
Some cracking nuts, some cracking jokes,
Some wearing modish graces.
With sunny, country faces;
Some cracking nuts, some cracking jokes,
Some wearing modish graces.
And just peep on the bowling-green,
What capering and what prancing;
He's fiddling there a merry air,
To the merry people dancing!
What capering and what prancing;
He's fiddling there a merry air,
To the merry people dancing!
Now, see those girls with one accord
Around that booth are staring;
And many a lad has spent his hoard,
To buy a handsome fairing.
Around that booth are staring;
And many a lad has spent his hoard,
To buy a handsome fairing.
See, some give ribbons red and blue,
And some give green and yellow;
And some give rings and brooches too,
To shew a generous fellow.
And some give green and yellow;
And some give rings and brooches too,
To shew a generous fellow.
116
Now hushed is every laugh and joke,
To hear a sailor singing,
How “Poll of Plymouth's” heart was broke,
And “Monmouth's bells were ringing.”
To hear a sailor singing,
How “Poll of Plymouth's” heart was broke,
And “Monmouth's bells were ringing.”
And then how brave “Tom Tough,” d'ye see,
Brought to the Frenchmen ruin;
Of “Barbara Allen's cruelty,”
And “Crazy Jane's” undoing.
Brought to the Frenchmen ruin;
Of “Barbara Allen's cruelty,”
And “Crazy Jane's” undoing.
But ere he has the next begun,
See, round all eyes are glancing;
He stands alone, for all are gone
To see the dogs a-dancing!
See, round all eyes are glancing;
He stands alone, for all are gone
To see the dogs a-dancing!
Ha! there they are—why, what a crowd!
And what a deafening racket!
Well may they stare, for there's a bear,
And monkey in a jacket!
And what a deafening racket!
Well may they stare, for there's a bear,
And monkey in a jacket!
But let us leave this noisy rout;
And let us leave the singing;—
We have not seen the round-about,
Nor have we seen the swinging.
And let us leave the singing;—
We have not seen the round-about,
Nor have we seen the swinging.
117
We have not seen old wicked Punch
His little wife a-beating;
We have not thought what must be bought
For wearing, nor for eating.
His little wife a-beating;
We have not thought what must be bought
For wearing, nor for eating.
We have not been to see the shows,
The lion and his crony;
The child so big—the learned pig—
Nor yet the learned pony.
The lion and his crony;
The child so big—the learned pig—
Nor yet the learned pony.
Why, what a deal we have to do!
Come miss and little master,
We sha'n't get back by nine o'clock,
Unless we travel faster!
Come miss and little master,
We sha'n't get back by nine o'clock,
Unless we travel faster!
There now, we have seen everything,
And each has got a fairing!
And homeward all, both great and small,
Are leisurely repairing.
And each has got a fairing!
And homeward all, both great and small,
Are leisurely repairing.
And hark! the bells are ringing round,
As they rung in the morning;
But oh! they have a different sound
In going and returning!
As they rung in the morning;
But oh! they have a different sound
In going and returning!
| Tales in Verse for Young People | |