The Fairies of the Caldon Low-Mary Howitt

THE FAIRIES OF THE CALDON LOW

'And 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 heard the merry winds blow.'

'And what did you hear, my Mary,

All up on the Caldon Hill?'

'I heard the drops of water made,

And I heard the corn-ears 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 the miller will be

At 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," they said, "the merry

winds go,

Away from every horn;

And they shall clear the milder dank

From the blind old widow's corn.

' "Oh! the poor blind widow,

Though she has been blind so long,

She'll be blithe enough when the mil-

dew's gone,

And the corn stands tall and strong."

'And some they brought the brown lint-seed,

And flung it down from the Low;

"And this," they said, "by the sunrise,

In the weaver's croft shall grow.

' "Oh! the poor lame weaver,

How he will 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 grey,

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 the wheel did go.

'And I peeped into the widow's field,

And, sure enough, were seen

The yellowed ears of the mildewed corn,

All standing stout and green.

'And down by the weaver's croft I stole,

To see if the flax were sprung;

But I met the weaver at his gate,

With the good news on his tongue.

'Now this is all that I heard, mother,

And all that I did see;

So, prithee, make my bed, mother,

For I'm tired as I can be.'

MARY HOWITT

Summary: 'The Fairies of the Caldon Low' is a poem written by Mary Howitt, an English poet and author. It tells the enchanting tale of a group of fairies who live in the Caldon Low, a picturesque valley in the Staffordshire Moorlands of England. The poem begin with a description of the Caldon Low, a place where the fairies gather to dance and sing.

One day, a young maiden named Ellen wanders into the Caldon Low and encounters the fairies. Mesmerized by their ethereal beauty and melodic voices, she joins their revelry and becomes captivated by their enchanting music. The fairies, delighted by Ellen's presence, invite her to dance with them.

As Ellen dances and frolics with the fairies, she loses track of time. Hours pass by unnoticed, and she becomes completely absorbed in the magical world of the fairies. However, as the day comes to an end, the fairies warn Ellen that she must leave before nightfall, as their realm becomes dangerous after dark.

Reluctantly, Ellen bids farewell to the fairies and makes her way back home. However, as she reaches the edge of the Caldon Low, she turns back to catch one last glimpse of the fairies. To her surprise, the alley is now empty, and the fairies have disappeared, leaving no trace of the presence.

The poem ends with Ellen longing for the day when she can return to the Caldon Low and join the fairies once again in their mystical celebrations. She cherishes the memory of her encounter with the fairies and hopes to relive the magical experience in the future.

'The Fairies of the Caldon Low' is a whimsical and enchanting poem that transports readers into a world of beauty and magic. It captures the allure of the fairy realm and the longing to be a part of something extraordinary. Through vivid imagery and lyrical verses, Mary Howitt weaves a captivating narrative that celebrates the wonder and enchantment of the fairy world.