GOBLIN MARKET
" You have much gold upon your head."
They answered all together :
" Buy from us with a golden curl."
She clipped a precious golden lock,
She dropped a tear more rare than pearl,
Then sucked their fruit globes fair or red :
Sweeter than honey from the rock.
Stronger than man-rejoicing wine.
Clearer than water flowed that juice ;
She never tasted such before, 10
How should it cloy with length of use ?
She sucked and sucked and sucked the more
Fruits which that unknown orchard bore ;
She sucked until her lips were sore ;
Then flung the emptied rinds away
But gathered up one kernel stone,
And knew not was it night or day
As she turned home alone.
Lizzie met her at the gate
Full of wise upbraidings : • 20
" Dear, you should not stay so late.
Twilight is not good for maidens ;
Should not loiter in the glen
In the haunts of goblin men.
Do you not remember Jeanie,
How she met them in the moonlight,
Took their gifts both choice and many,
Ate their fruits and wore their flowers
Plucked from bowers
Where summer ripens at all hours ? 30
But ever in the noonlight
She pined and pined away ;
Sought them by night and day,
Found them no more but dwindled and grew grey ;
Then fell with the first snow,
While to this day no grass will grow