Читать книгу Once Upon a Time, and Other Child-Verses - Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman - Страница 10

Thro' the cool woodland ride they now,

'Neath rustling branches, bending low;

The silver music draws them

Along the beams of moonlight pale,

Silver bells are ringing;

In violet shadows in the vale,

Silver bells are ringing.

"Return with us, oh, gracious king!

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This search is but a bootless thing.

A spell is laid upon our minds,

Our thoughts are tossed as by the winds,

And deeper o'er our senses swells

The music of those silver bells!

Return, oh, king, ere 'tis

late;

The Wise Man by the

palace gate

Will give to thee his

kindly aid,

So shalt thou find the

royal maid."

They galloped back o'er hill and dale,

Silver bells are ringing;

In soft gusts came the southern gale,

Silver bells are ringing.

The trembling king knelt down before

The Wise Man at the palace-door:

"Oh, Wise Man! art thou truly wise—

Find out my child with thy bright eyes!"

"Thy daughter clings to carven stone,

White dove-wings from her shoulders

grown;

In downy dove-plumes is she drest;

They shine like jewels on her breast;

She sits beneath the minster eaves,

Amongst the clustering ivy leaves."

"She was so full of angel-love,"

Silver bells are ringing;

"They could but make her a white dove,"

Silver bells are ringing.

The king stood 'neath the minster wall,

And loudly on his child did call.

A snow-white dove beneath the eaves,

Looked down from 'mongst the ivy leaves,

Then flew down to the monarch's breast,

And, sorely panting, there did rest.

Then spake the Wise Man by his side:

"Oh, king, canst thou subdue thy pride,

And hang thy crown beneath the eaves,

Amongst the clustering ivy leaves

"In thine unhappy daughter's place?"

Silver bells are ringing;

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"For thus she'll find her maiden grace,"

Silver bells are ringing.

The jewels in the royal

crown,

Out from the dark

green ivy shone!

The white dove softly

folds her wings,

Then lightly to the ground

she springs—

A princess, sweeter than before,

For being a white dove an hour.

They went home through the happy town,

The king forgot his royal crown,

And soon, beneath the minster eaves,

'Twas hidden by the ivy leaves.