And binds her flaxen hair,
And down she stealeth, down and down,
Down the turret stair.

Behold him! With the flock he wons
Along yon grassy lea.
"My shepherd lord, my shepherd love,
What wilt thou, then, with me?
My heart is gone out of my breast,
And followeth on to thee."

II.

"The white lambs feed in tender grass:
With them and thee to bide,
How good it were," she saith at noon;
"Albeit the meads are wide.
Oh! well is me" she saith when day
Draws on to eventide.

Hark! hark! the shepherd's voice. Oh, sweet!
Her tears drop down like rain.
"Take now this crook, my chosen, my fere
And tend the flock full fain;
Feed them, O lady, and lose not one,
Till I shall come again."

Right soft her speech: "My will is thine,
And my reward thy grace!"
Gone are his footsteps over the hill,
Withdrawn his goodly face;
The mournful dusk begins to gather,
The daylight wanes apace.

III.

On sunny slopes, ah! long the lady
Feedeth her flock at noon;
She leads them down to drink at eve
Where the small rivulets croon.
All night her locks are wet with dew,
Her eyes outwatch the moon.

Over the hills her voice is heard,
She sings when light doth wane:
"My longing heart is full of love.
When shall my loss be gain?
My shepherd lord, I see him not,
But he will come again."

When she had finished, Jack lifted his face and said, "Mamma!" Then
she came to him and kissed him, and his father said, "I think it must
be time this man of ours was in bed."

So he looked earnestly at them both, and as they still asked him no
questions, he kissed and wished them good-night; and his mother said
there were some strawberries on the sideboard in the dining-room, and
he might have them for his supper.

So he ran out into the hall, and was delighted to find all the house
just as usual, and after he had looked about him he went into his own
room, and said his prayers. Then he got into his little white bed, and
comfortably fell asleep.

That's all.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mopsa the Fairy, by Jean Ingelow

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