"'And there,' said they, 'the merry winds go Away from every horn; And those shall clear the mildew dank From the blind old widow's corn: "'Oh, the poor blind widow-- Though she has been blind so long, She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone, And the corn stands stiff and strong!' "And some they brought the brown linseed, And flung it down from the Low; 'And this,' said they, 'by the sunrise, In the weaver's croft shall grow! "'Oh, the poor lame weaver! How will he laugh outright When he sees his dwindling flax field All full of flowers by night!' "And then up spoke a brownie, With a long beard on his chin; 'I have spun up all the tow,' said he, 'And I want some more to spin. "'I've spun a piece of hempen cloth, And I want to spin another-- A little sheet for Mary's bed And an apron for her mother!' "And with that I could not help but laugh, And I laughed out loud and free; And then on the top of the Caldon-Low There was no one left but me. "And all on the top of the Caldon-Low The mists were cold and gray, And nothing I saw but the mossy stones That round about me lay. "But as I came down from the hilltop, I heard, afar below, How busy the jolly miller was, And how merry the wheel did go. "And I peeped into the widow's field, And, sure enough, was seen The yellow ears of the mildewed corn All standing stiff and green! "And down by the weaver's croft I stole, To see if the flax were high; But I saw the weaver at his gate With the good news in his eye! "Now, this is all that I heard, mother, And all that I did see; So, prithee, make my bed, mother, For I'm tired as I can be!" WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST? By L. Maria Child "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?" "Not I," said the cow; "Moo-oo! Such a thing I'd never do. I gave you a wisp of hay, But didn't take your nest away. Not I," said the cow; "Moo-oo! Such a thing I'd never do." "To-whit! to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?" "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! Now, what do you think? Who stole a nest away From the plum tree, to-day?" "Not I," said the dog; "Bow-wow! I wouldn't be so mean, anyhow! I gave hairs the nest to make, But the nest I did not take. Not I," said the dog; "Bow-wow! I'm not so mean, anyhow." [Illustration] "To-whit I to-whit! to-whee! Will you listen to me? Who stole four eggs I laid, And the nice nest I made?" "Bob-o'-link! Bob-o'-link! Now what do you think? Who stole a nest away From the plum tree, to-day?" "Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Coo-coo! Let me speak a word, too! Who stole that pretty nest From little yellow-breast?"