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104
DOLLY
A little girl has been put to bed by her nurse, who leaves her alone. Near her lies her doll in a cradle. It is summer time, the window is open, and a nightingale is singing in the garden. The moon rises and fills the room with light. The little girl gets out of bed, takes the doll out of the cradle, and sits nursing her near the window. On the table beside her is her bullfinch, in a cage, asleep. She talks to her doll:
How fast the sun has fallen down the sky!
I wonder where he goes to. You and I
Are left alone, dear Dolly. Do you hear
That bird that sings so beautifully clear?
He sings and then he listens.... Can you say
What he is listening for? And all the day
What does he do? Does he think over tunes
To sing at night, because he loves the moon's
Black shadows and white light? My little bird
Can't sing like that; but yet his little word
Comes straight into my heart. He goes to bed
At sunset; and he puts his pretty head
Under his wing. You see he has more sense
Than singing all night long to owls and bats;
He sings just to himself, without pretence,
Or else he sings to me alone; and that's
All that he needs....And we'll go by-bye too;
I think we had a tiring day, don't you?
So good night, Mr. Bird and Mrs. Moon!
I think you ought to go to by-bye soon,
Poor Mr. Bird; but Mrs. Moon must stay
To cheer the darkness while the sun's away.
So, Dolly, it is time your pretty head
Was lying on your dimity, white bed.
I wonder where he goes to. You and I
Are left alone, dear Dolly. Do you hear
That bird that sings so beautifully clear?
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What he is listening for? And all the day
What does he do? Does he think over tunes
To sing at night, because he loves the moon's
Black shadows and white light? My little bird
Can't sing like that; but yet his little word
Comes straight into my heart. He goes to bed
At sunset; and he puts his pretty head
Under his wing. You see he has more sense
Than singing all night long to owls and bats;
He sings just to himself, without pretence,
Or else he sings to me alone; and that's
All that he needs....And we'll go by-bye too;
I think we had a tiring day, don't you?
So good night, Mr. Bird and Mrs. Moon!
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Poor Mr. Bird; but Mrs. Moon must stay
To cheer the darkness while the sun's away.
So, Dolly, it is time your pretty head
Was lying on your dimity, white bed.
She lays Dolly in her cradle.
Now let me tuck you snugly up all round,
And hush you, so, until you sleep quite sound.
And hush you, so, until you sleep quite sound.
She rocks the cradle for a little while, then gets into bed and covers herself up. Presently she dreams that Dolly gets out of the cradle, stands in the moonlight, and sings to her:
When the pretty girlie sleeps,
Then her darling Dolly creeps
From her cradle; creeps and sings:
Dolly knows so many things!
Then her darling Dolly creeps
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Dolly knows so many things!
Dolly knows a day will rise
When the world in girlie's eyes
Will not be a place to weave
Gentle joys of make-believe.
When the world in girlie's eyes
Will not be a place to weave
Gentle joys of make-believe.
Then no more will girlie tell
Dolly secrets (kept so well);
Dolly then, with all her frocks,
Will be buried in a box.
Dolly secrets (kept so well);
Dolly then, with all her frocks,
Will be buried in a box.
Also there will come a night,
Flushed with shadow, pale with light,
When that singer in the wood
Will be better understood.
Flushed with shadow, pale with light,
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Will be better understood.
Then the girlie's heart will dote
On that strange mysterious note,
For the nightingale will moan
Not his yearning, but her own.
On that strange mysterious note,
For the nightingale will moan
Not his yearning, but her own.
So the world with girlie grows;
So for ever; Dolly knows!
But, till she forgotten lie,
Dolly sings; so lullaby, Lullaby!
So for ever; Dolly knows!
But, till she forgotten lie,
Dolly sings; so lullaby, Lullaby!
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