A boy was watching the water As it came lapping the edge of fern. Little ships passed him As the moon came leaning across dark blue rays of light. The spruce trees saw the white ships sailing away, And the moon bending up the blue sky Where stars were twinkling like fairy lamps; The boy was looking toward foreign lands As the ships passed, Their white sails glittering in the moonlight. He was thinking how he wished to see Foreign lands, strange people, When suddenly a bird came flying! It swooped down upon the slope And spoke to him: "Do you want to go across the deep blue sea? Get on my back; I will take you." "Oh," cried the little boy, "who sent you? Who knew my thoughts of foreign lands?" III THE ISLAND They flew as the night-wind flowed, very softly, They heard sweet singing that the water sang, They came to a place where the sea was shallow And saw treasure hidden there. There was one poplar tree On the lonely island, Swaying for sadness. The clouds went over their heads Like a fleet of drifting ships. And there they sank down out of the air Into the dream. THE DEW-LIGHT The Dew-man comes over the mountains wide, Over the deserts of sand, With his bag of clear drops And his brush of feathers. He scatters brightness. The white bunnies beg him for dew. He sprinkles their fur, They shake themselves. All the time he is singing The unknown world is beautiful! He polishes flowers, Humming "Oh, beautiful!" He sings in the soft light That grows out of the dew, Out of the misty dew-light that leans over him He makes his song . . . It is beautiful, the unknown world! YELLOW SUMMER-THROAT Yellow summer-throat sat singing In a bending spray of willow tree. Thin fine green-y lines on his throat, The ruffled outside of his throat, Trembled when he sang. He kept saying the same thing; The willow did not mind. I knew what he said, I knew, But how can I tell you? I have to watch the willow bend in the wind. PEGASUS Come dear Pegasus, I said, Let me ride on your back; I have often seen your shadow in the glittering creek; Pegasus, beautiful Pegasus, Let me sit on your back! He was away, But I was on his back, So I went with him. We had a castle in a mountain cloud. So quickly was he away, I had no time to look or speak! That was the last I saw of father or mother. We went far from the shining creek, Farther than I know how to tell you: It was good-by. VENICE BRIDGE For a painting