LESSON 42 QUEEN MAB

QUEEN MAB

1. A little fairy comes at night,

Her eyes are blue, her hair is brown,

With silver spots upon her wings,

And from the moon she flutters [1] down.

2. She has a little silver wand [2] ,

And when a good child goes to bed

She waves her wand from right to left,

And makes a circle [3] round its head.

3. And then it dreams of pleasant things,

Of fountains filled with fairy fish,

And trees that bear delicious [4] fruit,

And bow their branches at a wish.

4. Of arbours [5] filled with dainty scents

From lovely flowers that never fade;

Bright flies that glitter [6] in the sun,

And glow-worms [7] shining in the shade.

5. And singing birds with gifted [8] tongues

For singing songs and telling tales;

And pretty dwarfs to show the way

Through fairy hills and fairy dales [9] .

—T. HOOD

* * *

[1] flutters: Flies with trembling wings; like a falling leaf.

[2] wand: Stick, rod.

[3] circle: Ring.

[4] delicious: Very pleasing to taste.

[5] arbour: A shelter made of trees and flowers.

[6] glitter: Shine brightly.

[7] glow-worms: Beetles which give out a greenish light.

[8] gifted: Clever; able to do something very well.

[9] dales: Valleys.