Dates and sharp bullaces, Sweet to tongue and sound to eye; Come buy, come buy." Evening by evening Among the brookside rushes, Laura bowed her head to hear, Crouching close together With clasping arms and cautioning lips, Pricking up her golden head: "We must not look at goblin men, We must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed Hobbling down the glen. "Oh," cried Lizzie, "Laura, Laura, You should not peep at goblin men.” Lizzie covered up her eyes, Covered close lest they should look ; And whispered like the restless brook: "Look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie, Down the glen tramp little men. One hauls a basket, One bears a plate, One lugs a golden dish Of many pounds weight. In each ear, shut eyes and ran : One whisked a tail, One tramped at a rat's pace, One crawled like a snail, One like a wombat prowled obtuse and furry, One like a ratel tumbled hurry skurry. She heard a voice like voice of doves Cooing all together: They sounded kind and full of loves In the pleasant weather. Laura stretched her gleaming neck Like a rush-imbedded swan, Like a lily from the beck, Like a moonlit poplar branch, Backwards up the mossy glen When they reached where Laura was They stood stock still upon the moss, Brother with queer brother; Signalling each other, Brother with sly brother. One set his basket down, One reared his plate; One began to weave a crown Of tendrils, leaves, and rough nuts brown (Men sell not such in any town); One heaved the golden weight Of dish and fruit to offer her: "Come buy, come buy," was still their cry. Laura stared but did not stir, Longed but had no money: The whisk-tailed merchant bade her taste The rat-paced spoke a word. Of welcome, and the snail-paced even was heard; One parrot-voiced and jolly Cried "Pretty Goblin" still for "Pretty Polly;"One whistled like a bird. But sweet-tooth Laura spoke in haste: "Good Folk, I have no coin; To take were to purloin : I have no copper in my purse, And all my gold is on the furze "You have much gold upon your head, They answered all together: "Buy from us with a golden curl." She clipped a precious golden lock, She dropped a tear more rare than pearl, She never tasted such before, How should it cloy with length of use? She sucked and sucked and sucked the more Fruits which that unknown orchard bore; She sucked until her lips were sore; And knew not was it night or day As she turned home alone. Lizzie met her at the gate "Dear, you should not stay so late, Where summer ripens at all hours? She pined and pined away; Sought them by night and day, Found them no more, but dwindled and While to this day no grass will Where she lies low: grow I planted daisies there a year ago You should not loiter so.' "Nay, hush," said Laura: grew grey; |