Mary Freeman - Once Upon a Time and Other Child-Verses

The fairy lilted loud and sweet,
The laddie turned him round to see;
She lifted up her little face,
And sweet, and sweet, and sweet, smiled
she.

The laddie thro' the heather
ran,
His tartan blowing out behind,
The little fairy, gowned in green,
Wi' little harp o' pearl, to find.

And since you are a mortal bairn,
And yet have shunned me not," she said,
A fairy gift I'll give to thee,
To-morrow, when the west is red.

"And since you have a bonny face,
I'll give to thee a fairy kiss,
To take the bitter from thy woe,
And add a sweetness to thy bliss."

She kissed the laddie's blushing cheek,
And all the air grew sweet around,
As if a million flowers bloomed out —
And then she vanished from the ground.

The western sky all roses was,
And round the "Macleod's Maidens'" feet
Foam-wreaths to wreaths of roses turned.
The fairy lilted loud and sweet;

The laddie o'er the fairy bridge,
Came running lightly to her side:
"And have you brought the fairy gift
You promised me last night?" he cried.

The flag was green as springtide sward
What time the sun upon it lies,
And shot with threads of glittering gold,
And filled with spots of gold, like eyes.

She put it in the laddie's hand:
"Once waved, 'twill bring thee thy desire,
And twice, and thrice – but not again;
Then cast it, worthless, in the fire!"

A shadow o'er her gown o' green,
A shadow o'er her winsome face,
A shadow o'er her golden hair,
Came softly creeping on apace.

The fairy through the shadow shone,
And struck her little harp o' pearl;
Then vanished in the shadow's heart,
Wi' golden and wi' rosy swirl.

The laddie held the fairy flag,
Alone in twilight gray and cold;
And stood and looked, his wond'ring eyes
All filled with dancing motes of gold.

The laddie's yellow beard had grown;
He'd wedded with a lady fair;

And he had got a little son,
With his same bonnie yellow hair.

And alway had the fairy's kiss,
She gave to him so long ago,
Added a sweetness to his bliss,
And ta'en the bitter from his woe.

But never yet the fairy flag
Had waved upon the castle wall;
For with his stalwart arm and sword,
His troubles he had breasted all.

"Oh, where's my little laddie gone?"
The lady left her 'broidery frame;
Through every castle window peered,
With tearful eyes, the gentle dame.

Then Macleod called his followers out,
And loud the castle trumpets blew:
"Oh, Macleod's heir is strayed awa',
And on the heather falls the dew,

"And on the heather falls the dew;
Shadows are floating o'er the sea.

Oh, where's my little laddie gone:
I pray ye bring him back to me!