Part 19

THE MERMAN. FROM THE OLD DANISH.

"Do thou, dear Mother, contrive amain How Marsk Stig's daughter I may gain."

She made him, of water, a noble steed, Whose trappings were form'd from rush and reed.

To a young knight chang'd she then her son; To Mary's church at full speed he's gone.

His foaming horse to the gate he bound, And pac'd the church full three times round:

When in he walk'd with his plume on high, The dead men gave from their tombs a sigh:

The priest heard that, and he clos'd his book; "Methinks yon knight has a strange wild look."

Then laugh'd the maiden beneath her sleeve; "If he were my husband I should not grieve."

He stepp'd over benches one and two: "O, Marsk Stig's daughter, I doat on you."

He stepp'd over benches two and three: "O, Marsk Stig's daughter, come home with me."

Then said the maid, without more ado, "Here take my troth, I will go with you."

They went from the church a bridal train, And danc'd so gaily across the plain;

They danc'd till they came to the strand, and then They were forsaken by maids and men.

"Now, Marsk Stig's daughter, sit down and rest; To build a boat I will do my best."

He built a boat of the whitest sand, And away they went from the smiling land;

But when they had cross'd the ninth green wave, Down sunk the boat to the ocean cave!

I caution ye, maids, as well as I can, Ne'er give your troth to an unknown man.

THE DECEIVED MERMAN. FROM THE OLD DANISH.

Fair Agnes alone on the sea-shore stood, Then rose a Merman from out the flood:

"Now, Agnes, hear what I say to thee, Wilt thou my leman consent to be?"

"O, freely that will I become, If thou but take me beneath the foam."

He stopp'd her ears, and he stopp'd her eyes, And into the ocean he took his prize.

The Merman's leman was Agnes there,-- She bore him sons and daughters fair:

One day by the cradle she sat and sang, Then heard she above how the church bells rang:

She went to the Merman, and kiss'd his brow; "Once more to church I would gladly go."

"And thou to church once more shalt go, But come to thy babes back here below."

He flung his arm her body around, And he lifted her up unto England's ground.

Fair Agnes in at the church door stepp'd, Behind her mother, who sorely wept.