"Circling here and circling there, Light as thought and free as air, Hear them cry, 'Oho, oho,' As they round the rosey go. "Appleblossom, Summerdew, Thistleblow, and Ganderfeather! Join the airy fairy crew Dancing on the sward together! Till the cock on yonder steeple Gives all faery lusty warning, Sing and dance, my little people,-- Dance and sing 'Oho' till morning!" The four little fairies the queen called to must have been loitering. But now they came scampering up,--Ganderfeather behind the others, for he was a very fat and presumably a very lazy little fairy. "The elves will be here presently," said the queen, "and then, little folk, you shall dance to your heart's content. Dance your prettiest to-night for the good old poet is watching you." "Ah, little queen," cried the old poet, "you see me, then? I thought to watch your revels unbeknown to you. But I meant you no disrespect,--indeed, I meant you none, for surely no one ever loved the little folk more than I." "We know you love us, good old poet," said the little fairy queen, "and this night shall give you great joy and bring you into wondrous fame." These were words of which the old poet knew not the meaning; but we, who live these many years after he has fallen asleep,--we know the meaning of them. Then, surely enough, the elves came trooping along. They lived in the further meadow, else they had come sooner. They were somewhat larger than the fairies, yet they were very tiny and very delicate creatures. The elf prince had long flaxen curls, and he was arrayed in a wonderful suit of damask web, at the manufacture of which seventy-seven silkworms had labored for seventy-seven days, receiving in payment therefor as many mulberry leaves as seven blue beetles could carry and stow in seven times seven sunny days. At his side the elf prince wore a sword made of the sting of a yellow-jacket, and the hilt of this sword was studded with the eyes of unhatched dragon-flies, these brighter and more precious than the most costly diamonds. The elf prince sat beside the fairy queen. The other elves capered around among the fairies. The dancing sward was very light, for a thousand and ten glowworms came from the marsh and hung their beautiful lamps over the spot where the little folk were assembled. If the moon and the stars were jealous of that soft, mellow light, they had good reason to be. The fairies and elves circled around in lively fashion. Their favorite dance was the ring-round-a-rosy which many children nowadays dance. But they had other measures, too, and they danced them very prettily. "I wish," said the old poet, "I wish that I had my violin here, for then I would make merry music for you." The fairy queen laughed. "We have music of our own," she said, "and it is much more beautiful than even you, dear old poet, could make."