Journeys Through Bookland Volume Ii Part 49

"What!--I must positively kiss you for that," exclaimed the wife, "My dear, good husband! Now I'll tell you something. Do you know, you had hardly left me this morning, before I began thinking how I could give you something very nice this evening. I thought it should be pancakes with savory herbs. I had eggs, and bacon too; but I wanted herbs. So I went over to the schoolmaster's--they have herbs there, I know--but the schoolmistress is a mean woman, though she looks so sweet. I begged her to lend me a handful of herbs, 'Lend!' she answered me; 'nothing at all grows in our garden, not even a shriveled apple. I could not even lend you a shriveled apple, my dear woman.' But now _I_ can lend HER twenty, or a whole sackful. That I'm very glad of; that makes me laugh!" And with that she gave him a sounding kiss.

"I like that!" exclaimed both the Englishmen together. "Always going downhill, and always merry; that's worth the money."

So they paid a hundredweight of gold to the peasant, who was not scolded, but kissed.

Yes, it always pays, when the wife sees and always a.s.serts that her husband knows best, and that whatever he does is right.

You see, that is my story. I heard it when I was a child; and now you have heard it too, and know that "What the old man does is always right."

THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON-LOW

By Mary Howitt

"And where have you been, my Mary, And where have you been from me?"

"I've been to the top of the Caldon-Low, The midsummer night to see!"

"And what did you see, my Mary, All up on the Caldon-Low?"

"I saw the blithe suns.h.i.+ne come down, And I saw the merry winds blow."

"And what did you hear, my Mary, All up on the Caldon-Hill?"

"I heard the drops of water made, And I heard the corn-ears fill."

"Oh, tell me all, my Mary-- All, all that ever you know; For you must have seen the fairies Last night on the Caldon-Low."

"Then take me on your knee, mother, And listen, mother of mine: A hundred fairies danced last night, And the harpers they were nine;

"And merry was the glee of the harp-strings, And their dancing feet so small; But, oh! the sound of their talking Was merrier far than all!"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"And what were the words, my Mary, That you did hear them say?"

"I'll tell you all, my mother, But let me have my way.

"And some they played with the water, And rolled it down the hill; 'And this,' they said, 'shall speedily turn The poor old miller's mill;

"'For there has been no water Ever since the first of May; And a busy man shall the miller be By the dawning of the day!

"'Oh, the miller, how he will laugh, When he sees the milldam rise!

The jolly old miller, how he will laugh, Till the tears fill both his eyes!'

"'And some they seized the little winds, That sounded over the hill, And each put a horn into his mouth, And blew so sharp and shrill!

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"'And there,' said they, 'the merry winds go Away from every horn; And those shall clear the mildew dank From the blind old widow's corn:

"'Oh, the poor blind widow-- 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, And flung it down from the Low; 'And this,' said they, 'by the sunrise, In the weaver's croft shall grow!

"'Oh, the poor lame weaver!

How will he laugh outright When he sees his dwindling flax field All full of flowers by night!'

"And then up spoke 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, And I want to spin another-- A little sheet for Mary's bed And an ap.r.o.n for her mother!'

"And with that I could not help but laugh, And I laughed out loud and free; And then on the top of the Caldon-Low There was no one left but me.

"And all on the top of the Caldon-Low The mists were cold and gray, And nothing I saw but the mossy stones That round about me lay.

"But as I came down from the hilltop, 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 With the good news in his eye!

"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!"

WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST?

By L. Maria Child

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee!

Will you listen to me?

Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?"

"Not I," said the cow; "Moo-oo!

Such a thing I'd never do.

I gave you a wisp of hay, But didn't take your nest away.

Not I," said the cow; "Moo-oo!

Such a thing I'd never do."

"To-whit! to-whit! to-whee!

Will you listen to me?

Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?"

"Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link!

Now, what do you think?

Who stole a nest away From the plum tree, to-day?"