PICTURES, FANCIES, AND MEMORIES. THE PIPER. PIPING down the valleys wild, And he, laughing, said to me, "Pipe a song about a lamb !" "Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe ; While he wept with joy to hear. "Piper, sit thou down, and write And I made a rural pen, And I stained the water clear; Every child may joy to hear. William Blake. SONG OF THE ELFIN MILLER. FULL merrily rings the millstone round, So the meal comes in a shower; The miller he's a worldly man, So draw the sluice of the churl's dam, The top of the grain on hill and plain One elf goes chasing the wild bat's wing One hunts the fox for the white o' his tail, O haste, my brown elf, bring me corn Go, gentle fairy, bring me grain From green Dalgona mains; But, pride of a' at Closeburn ha', Fair is the corn and fatter ; Hilloah! my hopper is heaped high ; Haste, elves, and turn yon mountain burn Ha! bravely done, my wanton elves, See how the dust from the mill flies, And meet me soon, ere sinks the moon, THE FAIRY FOLK. Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We dare n't go a-hunting For fear of little men ; Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feather! Allan Cuningham. Down along the rocky shore Of the black mountain-lake, High on the hill-top The old King sits; On his stately journeys From Slieveleague to Rosses; Or going up with music, On cold starry nights, To sup with the Queen Of the gay Northern Lights. They stole little Bridget For seven years long ; When she came down again Her friends were all gone. They took her lightly back, Between the night and morrow; They thought that she was fast asleep, But she was dead with sorrow. They have kept her ever since Deep within the lakes, On a bed of flag leaves, Watching till she wakes. |