"Not in forest maid is found," Dennis thinks, the brave. "To their chambers went the maids; Are gone for the night." The son of Don he pulls the rein And the spur he strikes: Like an arrow rushed the steed-- To the huts he turned. In the clouds the distant sky Was silvering the moon; A Beauty-Maid in melancholy By the window sits. Espies the brave the Beauty-Maid, Beats his heart within: Gently steed to left, to left-- Under the window now is he. "Darker growing is the night And hidden is the moon; Quick, my darling, do come out, Water give my steed." "No, not unto a man so young; Right fearful't is to go; Fearful't is my house to leave, And water give thy steed." "Have no fear, O Beauty-Maid, And friendship close with me"-- "Brings danger night to Beauty-Maids," "Fear me not, O joy of mine! "Trust me, dear, thy fear is vain, Away with terror groundless! Time thou losest precious, Fear not, O my darling! Mount my steed; with thee I will To distant regions gallop; Blest with me be thou shalt, Heaven with mate is everywhere." And the maid? Over she bends, Her fear is overcome, Bashfully to ride consents, And the Cossak happy is. Off they dart, away they fly; Are loving one another. Faithful he for two brief weeks, Forsook her on the third. 1815. THE DROWNED. IV. 185. Into the hut the children run, In haste they called their father: "Papa, papa, oh, our nets Out a corpse have dragged." "Ye lie, ye lie, ye little devils" Upon them father grumbled. "I declare, those wicked brats! Corpse now too have they must! "Down will come the court, 'Give answer!' And for an age no rest from it. But what to do? Heigh, wife, there, My coat give me, must get there somehow.... Now where's the corpse?"--"Here, papa, here!" And in truth along the river, Where is spread the moistened net, Upon the sand is seen the corpse. Disfigured terribly the corpse is, Is blue, and all is swollen. Is it a hapless sorrower, Who ruined has his sinful soul, Or by the waves a fisher taken, Or some fellow, drunkard, Or by robbers stripped, perchance, Trader some, unbusinesslike? To the peasant, what is this? About he looks and hastens.... Seizes he the body drowned, By the feet to water drags it, And from the shore the winding Off he pushes it with oar Downward 'gain floats the corpse, And grave, and cross still is seeking. And long the dead among the waves, As if living, swinging, floated; With his eyes the peasant him Homeward going, followed. "Ye little dogs, now follow me, Each of you a cake shall have; But look ye out, and hold your tongues! Else a thrashing shall ye have."