Spanish Highways and Byways Part 26

"Once bade her wicked sire She make a wheel most dire, Of scissors, knives, and fire.

Ay, so!

Of scissors, knives, and fire.

"The n.o.ble Christian neighbors, In pity of her labors, Brought silver swords and sabres.

Ay, so!

Brought silver swords and sabres.

"By noon her task was ended, And on that wheel all splendid Her little knee she bended.

Ay, so!

Her little knee she bended.

"Then down a stair of amber She saw the cherubs clamber: 'Come rest in our blue chamber.'

Ay, so!

She rests in their blue chamber."

Little Spaniards are not too intolerant to make a play-fellow of the Devil. In one of their pet games, the children form in line, with the invaluable Mother in charge. To each child she secretly gives the name of a color. Then an Angel comes in with a flying motion and calls, for instance, "Purple!" But there is no Purple in the company. It is then the Devil's turn, who rushes in, usually armed with a table-fork, and roars for "Green." There is a Green in the line, and she has to follow the Demon, while the Angel tries again. All right-minded spectators hope that the Angel will have the longer array at the last.

The Virgin's well-beloved name comes often into the children's songs.

"For studying my lessons, So as not to be a dunce, Papa gave me eight dollars, That I mean to spend at once.

Four for my dolly's necklace, Two for a collar fine, And one to buy a candle For Our Lady's shrine."

Even the supreme solemnity of the Wafer borne through the kneeling streets cannot abash the trustful gaze of childhood.

"'Where are you going, dear Jesus, So gallant and so gay?'

'I am going to a dying man To wash his sins away.

And if I find him sorry For the evil he has done, Though his sins are more than the sands of the sea, I'll pardon every one.'

"'Where are you going, dear Jesus, So gallant and so gay?'

'I'm coming back from a dying man Whose sins are washed away.

Because I found him sorry For the evil he had done, Though his sins were more than the sands of the sea, I've pardoned every one.'"

The affairs of State as well as of Church have left their traces on the children's play. As the little ones dance in circle, their piping music tells a confused tale of Spanish history within these latter days.

"In Madrid there is a palace, As bright as polished sh.e.l.l, And in it lives a lady They call Queen Isabel.

Not for count nor duke nor marquis Her father would she sell, For not all the gold in Spain could buy The crown of Isabel.

"One day when she was feasting Within this palace grand, A lad of Aragon walked in And seized her by the hand.

Through street and square he dragged her To a dreary prison cell, And all that weary way she wept, The lady Isabel.

"'For whom art weeping, lady?

What gives thy spirit pain?

If thou weepest for thy brothers, They will not come again.

If thou weepest for thy father, He lies 'neath sheet of stone.'

'For these I am not weeping, But for sorrows of mine own.

"'I want a golden dagger.'

'A golden dagger! Why?'

'To cut this juicy pear in two.

Of thirst I almost die.'

We gave the golden dagger.

She did not use it well.

Ah, no, it was not pears you cut, My lady Isabel."

These dancing circles keep in memory the a.s.sa.s.sination of Marshal Prim.

"As he came from the Cortes, Men whispered to Prim, 'Be wary, be wary, For life and for limb.'

Then answered the General, 'Come blessing, come bane, I live or I die In the service of Spain.'

"In the _Calle del Turco_, Where the starlight was dim, Nine cowardly bullets Gave greeting to Prim.

The best of the Spaniards Lay smitten and slain, And the new King he died for Came weeping to Spain."

This new king, Amadeo, is funnily commemorated in another dancing ditty, "Four Sweethearts."

"Maiden, if they ask thee, Maiden, if they ask thee, If thou hast a sweetheart--_ha_, _ha_!

If thou hast a sweetheart, Answer without blus.h.i.+ng, Answer without blus.h.i.+ng, 'Four sweethearts are mine--_ha_, _ha_!

Four sweethearts are mine.

"'The first he is the son of-- The first he is the son of A confectioner--_ha_, _ha_!

A confectioner.

Sugar-plums he gives me, Sugar-plums he gives me, Caramels and creams--_ha_, _ha_!

Caramels and creams.

"'The second is the son of-- The second is the son of An apothecary--_ha_, _ha_!

An apothecary.

Syrups sweet he gives me, Syrups sweet he gives me, For my little cough--_hack_, _hack_!

For my little cough.

"'The third he is the son of-- The third he is the son of The barber to the court--_ha_, _ha_!

The barber to the court.

Powders rare he gives me, Powders rare he gives me, And a yellow wig--_ha_, _ha_!

And a yellow wig.

"'The fourth? Oh, 'tis a secret, The fourth? Oh, 'tis a secret.

Our new Italian king--_ha_, _ha_!

Our new Italian king.

He gives me silk and satin, He gives me silk and satin, Velvet, gold, and gems--_ha_, _ha_!

Velvet, gold, and gems.'"

Strangest of all is the dramatic little dialogue, which one with an ear for children's voices may hear any day in Madrid, telling of the death of Queen Mercedes.

"'Whither away, young King Alfonso?

(Oh, for pity!) Whither away?'

'I go seeking my queen Mercedes, For I have not seen her since yesterday.'

"'But we have seen your queen Mercedes, Seen the queen, though her eyes were hid, While four dukes all gently bore her Through the streets of sad Madrid.

"'Oh, how her face was calm as heaven!

Oh, how her hands were ivory white!