The fairies' dance

Once in the morning when the breeze

Set all the leaves astir,

And music floated from the trees

As from a dulcimer,

I saw the roses, one by one,

Bow gracefully, as though

A fairy dance were just begun

Upon the ground below.

The lilies white beside the walk,

Like ladies fair and tall

Together joined in whispered talk

About the fairies' ball.

The slender grasses waved along

The garden path, and I

Could almost hear the fairies' song

When blew the light wind by.

I waited there till noon to hear

The elfin music sweet;

I saw the servant bees appear

In golden jackets neat;

And though I wished just once to see

The happy little elves,

They were so much afraid of me

They never showed themselves!