English

A Giant came to me when I was young,
My instant will to ask —
My earthly Servant, from the earth he sprung
Eager for any task!

" What wilt thou, O my Master? " he began,
" Whatever can be, " I.
" Say thy first wish — whate'er thou wilt I can, "
The Strong Slave made reply.

" Enter the earth and bring its riches forth,
For pearls explore the sea. "
He brought, from East and West and South and North,
All treasures back to me!

" Build me a palace wherein I may dwell. "

THE ghosts of flowers went sailing
Through the dreamy autumn air, —
The gossamer wings of the milkweed brown,
And the sheeny silk of the thistle-down;
But there was no bewailing,
And never a hint of despair.

From the mountain-ash was swinging
A gray, deserted nest;
Scarlet berries where eggs had been;
Softly the flower-wraiths floated in:
And the brook and breeze were singing
When the sun sank down in the west.

A ghost, that loved a lady fair,
Ever in the starry air
Of midnight at her pillow stood;
And, with a sweetness skies above
The luring words of human love,
Her soul the phantom wooed.
Sweet and sweet is their poisoned note,
The little snakes of silver throat,
In mossy skulls that nest and lie,
Ever singing "die, oh! die.'

Young soul put off your flesh, and come
With me into the quiet tomb,
Our bed is lovely, dark, and sweet;
The earth will swing us, as she goes,
Beneath our coverlid of snows,

The ghost of a wind came over the hill,
While day for a moment forgot to die,
And stirred the sheaves
Of the millet leaves,
As Nancibel went by.

Out of the lands of Long Ago,
Into the land of By and By,
Faded the gleam
Of a journeying dream,
As Nancibel went by.

‘Get up!’ the caller calls, ‘Get up!’
And in the dead of night,
To win the bairns their bite and sup,
I rise a weary wight.

My flannel dudden donn'd, thrice o'er
My birds are kiss'd, and then
I with a whistle shut the door,
I may not ope again.

The Germans, in Greek,
Are sadly to seek;
Not five in five score,
But ninety-five more,--
All, save only Hermann,
And Hermann's a German.

George Collins came home last Saturday night,
He was taken down sick an' died;
His true love was in the next room door,
Sewing her silk so fine.

When she heard George Collins was dead,
She laid her silks aside,
She got down on her bended knees,
She wept, she mourned, she cried.

"Oh, Mary, oh, Mary, get up from there,
Why do you weep an' mourn?
For there are other young men around,
To see you weep and mourn."

"Mother, oh, Mother, I know there are
Other young men aroun'.

A gentleman in hunting rode astray,
More out of choice than that he lost his way.
He let his company the hare pursue,
For he himself had other game in view:
A beggar by her trade; yet not so mean
But that her cheeks were fresh and linen clean.
" Mistress," quoth he, " and what if we two should
Retire a little way into the wood?"
She needed not much courtship to be kind,
He ambles on before, she trots behind;
For little Bobby, to her shoulders bound,
Hinders the gentle dame from ridding ground.

Gentle river, gentle river,
Lo, thy streams are stained with gore.
Many a brave and noble captain
Floats along thy willowed shore.

All beside thy limpid waters,
All beside thy sands so bright,
Moorish chiefs and Christian warriors
Joined in fierce and mortal fight.

Lords and dukes and noble princes
On thy fatal banks were slain;
Fatal banks that gave to slaughter
All the pride and flower of Spain.

There the hero, brave Alonso,
Full of wounds and glory died;
There the fearless Urdiales

(The Kitten Speaks)

The gentle milk jug blue and white
I love with all my soul;
She pours herself with all her might
To fill my breakfast bowl.

All day she sits upon the shelf,
She does not jump or climb—
She only waits to pour herself
When 'tis my supper-time.

And when the Jug is empty quite,
I shall not mew in vain,
The Friendly Cow, all red and white,
Will fill her up again.