The Elves and the Children.
Three little ones sit in a flowery mead,1
In the twilight grey ;2
At home their mother is making their bed,3
“ Where linger they ?”4
With laughing cheeks rosy5
They skip to and fro,6
Where the flowers upgrow,7
In a dewy Whitsun posy.8
Down, down the mountain three Elf maids reel,9
From the fir-crown’d height.10
Mists thicken, each rides on her spinning wheel ;11
Their raiments white12
In the air are flowing ;13
Each fairy shoe14
Just brushes the dew15
From the tops of flowers fresh blowing.16
They sing so sweetly : they sing to the three,17
“ Hail, children at play !18
Come, put your hands in ours, and flee19
To a home more gay,20
Under the mountain olden ;21
And the ivory row22
Of nine pins throw23
Over with bowls pure golden.24
“ Join ye! O join ye us maidens three,25
O join ye, and all26
Shall pluck the blossoms o’ gold, and see27
The song birds small,28
While merrily, merrily, singing ;29
Building their bowers30
Of lily flowers,31
And pearls like seeds upspringing.”32
The little ones wax so heavy in mind,33
Smile so dreamily,34
They are whirled along on the rising wind,35
But sleep all three.36
The earth shuts above them,37
As swiftly they fall,38
To the Elfin Hall,39
Ah, woe to the folk that love them !40
Upon the morrow the father runs41
To the fir-crown’d hill,42
The elfins have stolen his little ones,43
And guard them still !44
Green grass is creeping45
Above their golden hair ;46
Soundly they slumber there.47
But above there is wailing and weeping.48