Three jolly Farmers Once bet a pound Each dance the others would Off the ground.

Out of their coats They slipped right soon, And neat and nicesome Put each his shoon.

One--Two--Three!-- And away they go, Not too fast, And not too slow; Out from the elm-tree's Noonday shadow, Into the sun And across the meadow.

Past the schoolroom, With knees well bent Fingers a-flicking, They dancing went.

Up sides and over, And round and round, They crossed click-clacking, The Parish bound, By Tupman's meadow They did their mile, Tee-to-tum On a three-barred stile.

Then straight through Whipham, Downhill to Week, Footing it lightsome, But not too quick, Up fields to Watchet, And on through Wye, Till seven fine churches They'd seen skip by-- Seven fine churches, And five old mills, Farms in the valley, And sheep on the hills; Old Man's Acre And Dead Man's Pool All left behind, As they danced through Wool.

And Wool gone by, Like tops that seem To spin in sleep They danced in dream: Withy--Wellover-- Wa.s.sop--Wo-- Like an old clock Their heels did go.

A league and a league And a league they went, And not one weary, And not one spent.

And lo, and behold!

Past Willow-c.u.m-Leigh Stretched with its waters The great green sea.

Says Farmer Bates, "I puffs and I blows, What's under the water, Why, no man knows!"

Says Farmer Giles, "My wind comes weak, And a good man drownded Is far to seek."

But Farmer Turvey, On twirling toes Up's with his gaiters, And in he goes: Down where the mermaids Pluck and play On their tw.a.n.gling harps In a sea-green day; Down where the mermaids, Finned and fair, Sleek with their combs Their yellow hair....

Bates and Giles-- On the shingle sat, Gazing at Turvey's Floating hat.

But never a ripple Nor bubble told Where he was supping Off plates of gold.

Never an echo Rilled through the sea Of the feasting and dancing And minstrelsy.

They called--called--called: Came no reply: Nought but the ripples'

Sandy sigh.

Then glum and silent They sat instead, Vacantly brooding On home and bed, Till both together Stood up and said:-- "Us knows not, dreams not, Where you be, Turvey, unless In the deep blue sea; But excusing silver-- And it comes most willing-- Here's us two paying Our forty shilling; For it's sartin sure, Turvey, Safe and sound, You danced us square, Turvey, Off the ground!"

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SADLY, O, SADLY

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Sadly, O, sadly, the sweet bells of Baddeley Played in their steeples when Robin was gone, Killed by an arrow, Shot by c.o.c.k Sparrow, Out of a Maybush, fragrant and wan.

Grievedly, grievedly, tolled distant Shieveley, When the Dwarfs laid poor Snow-white asleep on the hill, Drowsed by an apple, The Queen, sly and subtle, Had cut with her knife on the blossomy sill.

THE DWARF

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"Now, Jinnie, my dear, to the dwarf be off, That lives in Barberry Wood, And fetch me some honey, but be sure you don't laugh,-- He hates little girls that are rude, are rude, He hates little girls that are rude."

Jane tapped at the door of the house in the wood, And the dwarf looked over the wall, He eyed her so queer, 'twas as much as she could To keep from laughing at all, at all, To keep from laughing at all.

His shoes down the pa.s.sage came clod, clod, clod, And when he opened the door, He croaked so harsh, 'twas as much as she could To keep from laughing the more, the more, To keep from laughing the more.

As there, with his bushy red beard, he stood, p.r.i.c.ked out to double its size, He squinted so cross, 'twas as much as she could To keep the tears out of her eyes, her eyes, To keep the tears out of her eyes.

He slammed the door, and went clod, clod, clod, But while in the porch she bides, He squealed so fierce, 'twas as much as she could To keep from cracking her sides, her sides, To keep from cracking her sides.

He threw a pumpkin over the wall, And melons and apples beside, So thick in the air that to see them all fall, She laughed, and laughed, till she cried, cried, cried; Jane laughed and laughed till she cried.

Down fell her teardrops a-pit-a-pat-pat, And red as a rose she grew;-- "Kah! kah," said the dwarf, "is it crying you're at?

It's the very worst thing you could do, do, do, It's the very worst thing you could do."

He slipped like a monkey up into a tree, He shook her down cherries like rain; "See now," says he, cheeping, "a blackbird I be, Laugh, laugh, little Jinnie, again--gain--gain, Laugh, laugh, little Jinnie, again."

Ah me! what a strange, what a gladsome duet From a house in the deeps of a wood!

Such shrill and such harsh voices never met yet A-laughing as loud as they could, could, could, A-laughing as loud as they could.

Come Jinnie, come dwarf, c.o.c.ksparrow, and bee, There's a ring gaudy-green in the dell, Sing, sing, ye sweet cherubs, that flit in the tree; La! who can draw tears from a well, well, well, Who ever drew tears from a well!

LONGLEGS

Longlegs--he yelled "Coo-ee!"

And all across the combe Shrill and shrill it rang--rang through The clear green gloom.

Fairies there were a-spinning, And a white tree-maid Lifted her eyes, and listened In her rain-sweet glade.

Bunnie to bunnie stamped; old Wat Chin-deep in bracken sate; A throstle piped, "I'm by, I'm by!"

Clear to his timid mate.

And there was Longlegs straddling, And hearkening was he, To distant Echo thrilling back A thin "Coo-ee!"

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THE MERMAIDS

Sand, sand; hills of sand; And the wind where nothing is Green and sweet of the land; No gra.s.s, no trees, No bird, no b.u.t.terfly, But hills, hills of sand, And a burning sky.

Sea, sea, mounds of the sea, Hollow, and dark, and blue, Flashing incessantly The whole sea through; No flower, no jutting root, Only the floor of the sea, With foam afloat.

Blow, blow, winding sh.e.l.ls; And the watery fish, Deaf to the hidden bells, In the water splash; No streaming gold, no eyes, Watching along the waves, But far-blown sh.e.l.ls, faint bells, From the darkling caves.

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