Mabel on Midsummer Day — A Story of the Olden Time
Part I
“Arise, my maiden, Mabel,”
The mother said, “arise,
For the golden sun of Midsummer
Is shining in the skies.
“Arise, my little maiden,
For thou must speed away,
To wait upon thy grandmother
This livelong summer day.
“And thou must carry with thee
This wheaten cake so fine;
This new-made pat of butter;
This little flask of wine!
“And tell the dear old body,
This day I cannot come,
For the good man went out yester-morn,
And he is not come home.
“And more than this, poor Amy
Upon my knee doth lie;
I fear me, with this fever-pain
That little child will die!
“And thou can’st help thy grandmother;
The table thou can’st spread;
Can’st feed the little dog and bird,
And thou can’st make her bed.
“And thou can’st fetch the water,
From the lady-well hard by;
And thou can’st gather from the wood
The fagots brown and dry.
“Can’st go down to the lonesome glen,
To milk the mother-ewe;
This is the work, my Mabel,
That thou wilt have to do.
“But listen now, my Mabel,
This is Midsummer-day,
When all the fairy people
From elf-land come away.
“And when thou art in lonesome glen,
Keep by the running burn,
And do not pluck the strawberry flower,
Nor break the lady-fern.
“But think not of the fairy folk,
Lest mischief should befall;
Think only of poor Amy,
And how thou lov’st us all.
“Yet keep good heart, my Mabel,
If thou the fairies see,
And give them kindly answer
If they should speak to thee.
“And when into the fir-wood
Thou go’st for fagots brown,
Do not, like idle children,
Go wandering up and down.
“But, fill thy little apron,
My child, with earnest speed;
And that thou break no living bough
Within the wood, take heed.
“For they are spiteful brownies
Who in the wood abide,
So be thou careful of this thing,
Lest evil should betide.
“But think not, little Mabel,
Whilst thou art in the wood,
Of dwarfish, wilful brownies,
But of the Father good.
“And when thou goest to the spring,
To fetch the water thence,
Do not disturb the little stream,
Lest this should give offence.
“For the queen of all the fairies
She loves that water bright;
I’ve seen her drinking there myself
On many a summer night.
“But she’s a gracious lady,
And her thou need’st not fear;
Only disturb thou not the stream,
Nor spill the water clear!”
“Now all this I will heed, mother,
Will no word disobey,
And wait upon the grandmother
This livelong summer day!”