On warm clear nights when a big moon is out He steps into the garden and never turns about, But walks down the path with his quiet proud air— He knows that the fairies are waiting out there. The fairies go a-dancing, a-dancing in a ring, He sits in the middle with a crown like a king, High on a throne in the middle of the grass, And the fairies stop capering to curtsey as they pass. Some day, some day when the spell is done He will be a Prince again. _Won’t_ that be fun? He will come to seek me and kiss my lily hand And take me on his foaming steed to reign in fairyland. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAIRY LULLABY FOR A MORTAL Sleep, oh sleep, for the night is still; The friendly moon peers over the hill; Cradled soft on the bosom of night Smiling she scatters her wistful light Where fairy lovers their trystings keep; But the children of men must sleep, must sleep. Sleep, oh sleep, for your days are long; The stars shall sing you a slumber-song Clear and bright as their silver flames, All made up of their own sweet names, Falling softly from star to star— Mera, Murphid and Aladfar. Sleep, oh sleep; with never a sound We will circle mazily round and around; We will wrap you close in a web of dreams Shot with delicate fairy gleams; With our soft, soft wings we will brush away The sorrowful darkness that comes with the day. Sleep, oh sleep, for the night grows late; Over the hill our comrades wait. How can we go when the gifts we brought, For all our loving, have served you nought? How can we leave you and know you weep? Will you not hush you, and smile, and sleep? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE CANARY He used to be a fairy once, A little singing fairy; He would not work, he would not play, He only sat and sang all day— So now he’s a canary. They sent him out of fairyland, They sent him here to me The day that I was six years old; His little house of shining gold Hangs in the nursery. He’s taught me lots of lovely things I never should have guessed; He’s told me what they say and do (They all have wings—it’s really true) And how the Queen is dressed.