THE FAIRY RING⁠[4]

Throned on a grassy knoll, I watch The elfin host come trooping by, And hear the whir of fairy wings, The goblin voices, shrill and high. Behind them glides a magic train Of Kings and Princes, armor-clad, And serving as their squires bold Boots, Ashiepattle, Cinderlad. With silken rustle, flash of gem, Queen and Czaritsa sweep along, While red-capped Troll and rainbow Sprite Peep out amid the enchanted throng. Ting-ling, ting-ling, how sweet the ring, Like golden bells, of fairy laughter; Rap-tap, rap-tap, how sharp the clap Of fairy footfalls following after! Where witch-grass grows and fern-seed lies, A fairy ring is dimly seen; And there a glitt’ring host is met To dance upon the moonlit green. Riquet, the Tufted, lightly turns The Fair One with the Golden Hair; And Prince Desire and Mignonette Form yet another graceful pair. Tall as a tower stands Galifron; The Desert Fay, with snakes bedight, First pirouettes with him and then With wee Tom Thumb, King Arthur’s Knight. Ting-ling, ting-ling, how sweet the ring, Like golden bells, of fairy laughter; Rap-tap, rap-tap, how sharp the clap Of fairy footfalls following after! Sweet, unseen harpers harp and sing, Faint elfin horns the air repeat; Rapunzel shakes her shining braids, The White Cat trips with velvet feet. Rose-red, Snow-white, the faithful Bear, Cross hands with gallant Percinet; While Tattercoats, in turn, salutes Yvon, the Fearless, and Finette.—But hark! the cock begins to crow; The darkness turns to day, and where The fairy dancers trod the green, Now is the space but empty air.