 | Poems for children |  |
93
IN THE BLACK FOREST.
Up through the great Black Forest,
So wild and wonderful,
We climbed in the autumn afternoon
'Mid the shadows deep and cool.
So wild and wonderful,
We climbed in the autumn afternoon
'Mid the shadows deep and cool.
We climbed to the Grand Duke's castle
That stood on the airy height;
Above the leagues of pine-trees dark
It shone in the yellow light.
That stood on the airy height;
Above the leagues of pine-trees dark
It shone in the yellow light.
We saw how the peasant women
Were toiling along the way,
In open spaces here and there,
That steeped in the sunshine lay.
Were toiling along the way,
In open spaces here and there,
That steeped in the sunshine lay.
They gathered the autumn harvest—
All toil-worn and weather-browned;
They gathered the roots they had planted in spring,
And piled them up on the ground.
All toil-worn and weather-browned;
They gathered the roots they had planted in spring,
And piled them up on the ground.
We heard the laughter of children,
And merrily down the road
Ran little Max with a rattling cart,
Heaped up with a heavy load.
And merrily down the road
94
Heaped up with a heavy load.
Upon orange carrots, and beets so red,
And turnips smooth and white,
With leaves of green all packed between,
Sat the little Rosel bright.
And turnips smooth and white,
With leaves of green all packed between,
Sat the little Rosel bright.
Around the edge of her wee white cap
The wind blew out her curls—
A sweeter face I have never seen
Than this happy little girl's.
The wind blew out her curls—
A sweeter face I have never seen
Than this happy little girl's.
A spray of the carrot's foliage fine,
Soft as a feather of green,
Drooped over her head from behind her ear
As proud as the plume of a queen.
Soft as a feather of green,
Drooped over her head from behind her ear
As proud as the plume of a queen.
Light was his burden to merry Max,
With Rosel perched above,
And he gazed at her on that humble throne
With eyes of pride and love.
With Rosel perched above,
And he gazed at her on that humble throne
With eyes of pride and love.
With joyful laughter they passed us by,
As up through the forest of pine,
So solemn and still, we made our way
To the castle of Eberstein.
As up through the forest of pine,
So solemn and still, we made our way
To the castle of Eberstein.
95
Oh, vast and dim and beautiful
Were the dark woods' shadowy aisles,
And all their silent depths seemed lit
With the children's golden smiles.
Were the dark woods' shadowy aisles,
And all their silent depths seemed lit
With the children's golden smiles.
Oh, lofty the Grand Duke's castle
That looked o'er the forest gloom;
But better I love to remember
The children's rosy bloom.
That looked o'er the forest gloom;
But better I love to remember
The children's rosy bloom.
And sweet is the picture I brought away
From the wild Black Forest shade,
Of proud and happy and merry Max,
And Rosel, the little maid.
From the wild Black Forest shade,
Of proud and happy and merry Max,
And Rosel, the little maid.
| Poems for children | |