Forgettest thou the hunger-pain And all thy young life made but vain?

How there was nought to help or aid, But for poor Goldilocks the Maid?"

She murmured, "Each to each we two, Our faces from the wood-mirk grew.

Hast thou forgot the gra.s.sy place, And love betwixt us face to face?

Hast thou forgot how fair I deemed Thy face? How fair thy garment seemed?

Thy kisses on my shoulders bare, Through rents of the poor raiment there?

My arms that loved thee nought unkissed All o'er from shoulder unto wrist?

Hast thou forgot how brave thou wert, Thou with thy fathers' weapon girt;

When underneath the bramble-bush I quaked like river-shaken rash,

Wondering what new-wrought shape of death Should quench my new love-quickened breath?

Or else: forget'st thou, Goldilocks, Thine own land of the wheaten shocks?

Thy mother and thy sisters dear, Thou said'st would bide thy true-love there?

Hast thou forgot? Hast thou forgot?

O love, my love, I move thee not."

Silent the fair Queen sat and smiled, And heeded nought the Angel's child,

For like an image fashioned fair Still sat the Swain with empty stare.

These words seemed spoken not, but writ As foolish tales through night-dreams flit.

Vague pictures pa.s.sed before his sight, As in the first dream of the night.

But the Maiden opened her basket fair, And set two doves on the table there.

And soft they cooed, and sweet they billed Like man and maid with love fulfilled.

Therewith the Maiden reached a hand To a dish that on the board did stand;

And she crumbled a share of the spice-loaf brown, And the Swain upon her hand looked down;

Then unto the fowl his eyes he turned; And as in a dream his bowels yearned

For somewhat that he could not name; And into his heart a hope there came.

And still he looked on the hands of the Maid, As before the fowl the crumbs she laid.

And he murmured low, "O Goldilocks!

Were we but amid the wheaten shocks!"

Then the false Queen knit her brows and laid A fair white hand by the hand of the Maid.

He turned his eyes away thereat, And closer to the Maiden sat.

But the queen-bird now the carle-bird fed Till all was gone of the sugared bread.

Then with wheedling voice for more he craved, And the Maid a share from the spice-loaf shaved;

And the crumbs within her hollow hand She held where the creeping doves did stand.

But Goldilocks, he looked and longed, And saw how the carle the queen-bird wronged.

For when she came to the hand to eat The hungry queen-bird thence he beat.

Then Goldilocks the Swain spake low: "Foul fall thee, bird, thou doest now

As I to Goldilocks, my sweet, Who gave my hungry mouth to eat."

He felt her hand as he did speak, He felt her face against his cheek.

He turned and stood in the evil hall, And swept her up in arms withal.

Then was there hubbub wild and strange, And swiftly all things there 'gan change.

The fair Queen into a troll was grown, A one-eyed, bow-backed, haggard crone.

And though the hall was yet full fair, And bright the sunshine streamed in there,

On evil shapes it fell forsooth: Swine-heads; small red eyes void of ruth;

And bare-boned bodies of vile things, And evil-feathered bat-felled wings.

And all these mopped and mowed and grinned, And sent strange noises down the wind.

There stood those twain unchanged alone To face the horror of the crone;

She crouched against them by the board; And cried the Maid: "Thy sword, thy sword!

Thy sword, O Goldilocks! For see She will not keep her oath to me."

Out flashed the blade therewith. He saw The foul thing sidelong toward them draw,