Fairy Gold by Ernest Rhys & Herbert Cole

Author:Ernest Rhys & Herbert Cole [Rhys, Ernest]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780486174303
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2012-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

III

As Robin took his way then along a green hedge-side he fell to singing,—

“And can the doctor make sick men well ?

And can the gipsy a fortune tell

Without lily, germander, and cockle-shell?

With sweet-brier,

And bon-fire

And straw-berry wine,

And columbine.

When Saturn did live, the sun did shine,

The king and the beggar on roots did dine,

With lily, germander, and sops in wine.

With sweet-brier,

And bon-fire,

And straw-berry wine,

And columbine.”

And when he had sung this over, he fell to wondering what he should next turn himself into. Then as he saw the smoke rise from the chimneys of the next town, he thought to himself, it would be to him great sport to walk the streets with a broom on his shoulder, and cry “Chimney sweep.”

But when presently Robin did this, and one did call him, then did Robin run away laughing, “Ho, ho, hoh ! ”

Next he set about to counterfeit a lame beggar,—begging very pitifully, but when a stout chandler came out of his shop to give Robin an alms, again he skipped off nimbly, laughing, as his naughty manner was.

That same night, he did knock at many men’s doors, and when the servants came out, he blew out their candle and straightway vanished in the dark street, with his “Ho, ho, hoh ! ”

All these mirthful tricks did Robin play, that day and night, and in these humours of his he had many pretty songs, one of which I will sing as perfect as I can. He sang it in his chimney-sweeper’s humour to the tune of, “I have been a fiddler these fifteen years.”

“Black I am from head to foot,

And all doth come by chimney soot.

Then, maidens, come and cherish him

That makes your chimneys neat and trim.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.