 | Poems by William W. Story |  |
221
FAIRY-LAND.
(FOR E. M. S.)
When first into Fairy-land I went
I was so happy and so content,
For a little Fairy carried me there
Who had large blue eyes and golden hair.
I was so happy and so content,
For a little Fairy carried me there
Who had large blue eyes and golden hair.
'Twas a beautiful wood, with great high trees
That scattered gold leaves as they shook in the breeze,
Where the Oriole flashed, and the blue Jay screamed,
And the trees and the skies in the smooth lake dreamed.
That scattered gold leaves as they shook in the breeze,
Where the Oriole flashed, and the blue Jay screamed,
And the trees and the skies in the smooth lake dreamed.
And there we wandered about, and played
On the crisping leaves in the sun and shade;
And she carried me where the gleaming brooks
Braided their brown hair over the rocks.
On the crisping leaves in the sun and shade;
And she carried me where the gleaming brooks
Braided their brown hair over the rocks.
222
And she told me where sweet nuts were found,
In the house of the squirrel under ground;
And she showed me a great flat mossy stone
That we ranged our acorn-cups upon.
In the house of the squirrel under ground;
And she showed me a great flat mossy stone
That we ranged our acorn-cups upon.
There we played party down in the glen,
And made believe ladies and gentlemen;
And put on their airs, and talked of the weather—
Oh! we were both so happy together.
And made believe ladies and gentlemen;
And put on their airs, and talked of the weather—
Oh! we were both so happy together.
Our cream and our sugar were only pretend,
But we found wild strawberries there without end,
And these on a great leaf-dish we set,
With an arum for pitcher, all dewy wet.
But we found wild strawberries there without end,
And these on a great leaf-dish we set,
With an arum for pitcher, all dewy wet.
We had at our tea-parties many a friend,
But they, like the sugar and cream, were ‘pretend,’
So we made believe help them, and pour out their cup,
And their berries and cake we ourselves eat up.
But they, like the sugar and cream, were ‘pretend,’
So we made believe help them, and pour out their cup,
And their berries and cake we ourselves eat up.
223
And there a garden we dug with a stick,
And planted with flower-seeds ever so thick,
And stuck all the wild flowers we found, in it too,
And dug them up daily to see how they grew.
And planted with flower-seeds ever so thick,
And stuck all the wild flowers we found, in it too,
And dug them up daily to see how they grew.
Sometimes both our children we hushed into bed,
And wove wreaths of woodbine to wear on our head,
And barberries for ear-rings we tied on with strings
And went to make visits to queens and to kings.
And wove wreaths of woodbine to wear on our head,
And barberries for ear-rings we tied on with strings
And went to make visits to queens and to kings.
Oh! 'twas so pleasant there in the wood,
How glad I should be to go back, if I could—
But the fairy returns not that carried me there,
And the place without her would be dreary and bare.
How glad I should be to go back, if I could—
But the fairy returns not that carried me there,
And the place without her would be dreary and bare.
| Poems by William W. Story | |