“A ND where have you been, my Mary,”
—And where have you been from me?”
“I've been to the top of the Caldon-Low,
—The midsummer night to see!”

“And what did you see, my Mary,
—All up on the Caldon-Low?”
“I saw the glad sunshine come down,
—And I saw the merry winds blow.”

“And what did you hear, my Mary,
—All up on the Caldon-Hill?”
“I heard the drops of the water made,
—And the ears of the green corn fill.”

“Oh, tell me all, my Mary—
—All—all that ever you know;
For you must have seen the fairies
—Last night on the Caldon-Low!”

“Then take me on your knee, mother,
—And listen, mother of mine:
A hundred fairies danced last night,
—And the harpers they were nine.

“And their harp-strings rang so merrily
—To their dancing feet so small;
But, oh! the words of their talking
—Were merrier far than all!”

“And what were the words, my Mary,
—That you did hear them say?”
“I'll tell you all, my mother,
—But let me have my way.

“Some of them played with the water,
—And rolled it down the hill;
‘And this,’ they said, ‘shall speedily turn
—The poor old miller's mill.

“‘For there has been no water
—Ever since the first of May;
And a busy man will the miller be
—At the dawning of the day!

“‘Oh! the miller, how he will laugh,
—When he sees the mill-dam rise!
The jolly old miller, how he will laugh,
—Till the tears fill both his eyes!’

“And some they seized the little winds,
—That sounded over the hill,
And each put a horn into his mouth,
—And blew both loud and shrill:

“‘And there,’ said they, ‘the merry winds go
—Away from every horn;
And they shall clear the mildew dank
—From the blind old widow's corn:

“‘Oh, the poor blind widow—
—Though she has been blind so long,
She'll be merry enough when the mildew's gone
—And the corn stands tall and strong!’

“And some they brought the brown linseed
—And flung it down the Low:
‘And this,’ said they, ‘by the sunrise
—In the weaver's croft shall grow!

“‘Oh, the poor lame weaver!
—How will he laugh outright
When he sees his dwindling flax-field
—All full of flowers by night!’

“And then outspoke a brownie,
—With a long beard on his chin:
‘I have spun up all the tow,’ said he,
—‘And I want some more to spin.

“‘I've spun a piece of hempen cloth
—And I want to spin another—
A little sheet for Mary's bed,
—And an apron for her mother!’

“With that I could not help but laugh,
—And I laughed out loud and free;
And then on the top of the Caldon-Low
—There was no one left but me.

“And all on the top of the Caldon-Low
—The mists were cold and gray,
And nothing I saw but the mossy stones
—That round about me lay.

“But, coming down from the hill-top,
—I heard, afar below,
How busy the jolly miller was,
—And how merry the wheel did go!

“And I peeped into the widow's field,
—And, sure enough, was seen
The yellow ears of the mildewed corn
—All standing stout and green.

“And down the weaver's croft I stole,
—To see if the flax were sprung;
And I met the weaver at his gate
—With the good news on his tongue!

“Now, this is all I heard, mother,
—And all that I did see;
So, prithee, make my bed, mother,
—For I'm tired as I can be!”