"Oh the miller, how he will laugh, When he sees the mill-dam rise! The jolly old miller, how he will laugh, "And some they seized the little winds, That sounded over the hill, And each put a horn into his mouth, 666 And blew so sharp and shrill ! And there,' said they, 'the merry winds go And those shall clear the mildew dank From the blind old widow's corn: Though she has been blind so long, She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone, And the corn stands stiff and strong!' "And some they brought the brown linseed, "Oh, the poor lame weaver! "And then upspoke a brownie, With a long beard on his chin ; 'I have spun up all the tow', said he, 'And I want some more to spin. I've spun a piece of hempen cloth, A little sheet for Mary's bed "And with that I could not help but laugh, "And all on the top of the Caldon-Low And nothing I saw but the mossy stones But, as I came down from the hill-top, I heard, afar below, How busy the jolly miller was, And how merry the wheel did go ! "And I peeped into the widow's field, And, sure enough, was seen The yellow ears of the mildewed corn All standing stiff and green! And down by the weaver's croft I stole, To see if the flax were high; But I saw the weaver at his gate "Now, this is all that I heard, mother, And all that I did see; So, prithee, make my bed, mother, For I'm tired as I can be !" - Mary Howitt. THE CHILDREN IN THE MOON HEARKEN, child, unto a story! For the moon is in the sky, And across her shield of silver See two tiny cloudlets fly. Watch them closely, mark them sharply, See, my child, across their shoulders It is said these little children, To a little well far northward To the wayside-well they trotted, Quoth the man, "How vexed and sulky But the little handsome maiden Trips behind him full of joy. "To the well behind the hedgerow "How they please me! how they tempt me! "Children, ay, and children's children, Thus the philosophic moon-man They will smile when thou art old When thy locks are thin and silver, Theirs will still be shining gold. They will haunt thee from their heaven, On thy cradle, on thy tomb! From the Scandinavian. HIAWATHA'S CHILDHOOD. By the shores of Gitchee Gumee, Bright before it beat the water, There the wrinkled old Nokomis Safely bound with reindeer sinews; Stilled his fretful wail by saying, "Hush the Naked Bear will hear thee !" Lulled him into slumber, singing, "Ewa-yea! my little owlet! Who is this that lights the wigwam? |