tle and strong,
Bound by the heart into one sweet song.
And amidst them all, the mother Earth
Sits with the children of her birth;
She tendeth them all, as a mother hen
Her little ones round her, twelve or ten:
Oft she sitteth, with hands on knee,
Idle with love for her family.
Go forth to her from the dark and the dust,
And weep beside her, if weep thou must;
If she may not hold thee to her breast,
Like a weary infant, that cries for rest
At least she will press thee to her knee,
And tell a low, sweet tale to thee,
Till the hue to thy cheeky and the light to thine eye,
Strength to thy limbs, and courage high
To thy fainting heart, return amain,
And away to work thou goest again.
From the narrow desert, O man of pride,
Come into the house, so high and wide.

Hardly knowing what I did, I opened the door. Why had I not done so
before? I do not know.

At first I could see no one; but when I had forced myself past the tree
which grew across the entrance, I saw, seated on the ground, and leaning
against the tree, with her back to my prison, a beautiful woman. Her
countenance seemed known to me, and yet unknown. She looked at me and
smiled, when I made my appearance.

"Ah! were you the prisoner there? I am very glad I have wiled you out."

"Do you know me then?" "Do you not know me? But you hurt me, and that,
I suppose, makes it easy for a man to forget. You broke my globe. Yet
I thank you. Perhaps I owe you many thanks for breaking it. I took the
pieces, all black, and wet with crying over them, to the Fairy Queen.
There was no music and no light in them now. But she took them from me,
and laid them aside; and made me go to sleep in a great hall of white,
with black pillars, and many red curtains. When I woke in the morning,
I went to her, hoping to have my globe again, whole and sound; but she
sent me away without it, and I have not seen it since. Nor do I care for
it now. I have something so much better. I do not need the globe to play
to me; for I can sing. I could not sing at all before. Now I go about
everywhere through Fairy Land, singing till my heart is like to break,
just like my globe, for very joy at my own songs. And wherever I go, my
songs do good, and deliver people. And now I have delivered you, and I
am so happy."

She ceased, a