Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882). Complete Poetical Works. 1893.
Christus: A MysteryPart II. The Golden Legend. II. II. A Room in the Farm-House
Of light comes in at the window-pane;
Or is it my eyes are growing dimmer?
I cannot disentangle this skein,
Nor wind it rightly upon the reel.
Elsie!
Has awakened me out of a pleasant dream.
I thought I was sitting beside a stream,
And heard the grinding of a mill,
When suddenly the wheels stood still,
And a voice cried “Elsie” in my ear!
It startled me, it seemed so near.
I cannot see to spin my flax.
Bring the lamp, Elsie. Dost thou hear?
She is telling them stories of the wood,
And the Wolf, and little Red Ridinghood.
I heard him walking across the floor,
As he always does, with a heavy tread.
Of the Father Immortal,
And of the celestial
Sacred and blessed
Jesus, our Saviour!
Again hast thou brought us;
And, seeing the evening
Twilight, we bless thee,
Praise thee, adore thee!
Son, the Life-giver!
Spirit, the Comforter!
Worthy at all times
Of worship and wonder!
And listened a moment, as we chanted
The evening song. He is gone again.
I have often seen him there before.
Poor Prince, alas! and yet as mild
And patient as the gentlest child!
And makes me such fine bows and arrows,
To shoot at the robins and the sparrows.
And the red squirrels in the wood!
Love him, from the bottom of our hearts;
He gave us the farm, the house, and the grange,
He gave us the horses and the carts,
And the great oxen in the stall,
The vineyard, and the forest range!
We have nothing to give him but our love!
On the chimney-top, with its large, round nest?
As a blessing, the dear white stork was given,
But the Prince has given us all the rest.
God bless him, and make him well again.
Something to cure his sorrow and pain!
Nor any one else.
Pity upon him, in his distress,
And work a miracle!
Some maiden, of her own accord,
Offers her life for that of her lord,
And is willing to die in his stead.
Thou shouldst not say what thou dost not mean!
Down by the mill, in the ravine,
Hans killed a wolf, the very same
That in the night to the sheepfold came,
And ate up my lamb, that was left outside.
To the wolves in the forest, far and wide.
Little Red Ridinghood!
That wolf was killed a long while ago.
Come, children, it is growing late.
As stout as Hans is, and as strong!
I would do nothing else, the whole day long,
But just kill wolves.
And grow as fast as a little boy can.
Bertha is half asleep already.
See how she nods her heavy head,
And her sleepy feet are so unsteady
She will hardly be able to creep upstairs.
And do not forget to say your prayers
Before you sleep.
That Elsie of ours. She looks so old,
And thoughts and fancies weird and wild
Seem of late to have taken hold
Of her heart, that was once so docile and mild!
Unlike all I have ever seen.
For she has visions and strange dreams,
And in all her words and ways, she seems
Much older than she is in truth.
Who would think her but fifteen?
And there has been of late such a change!
My heart is heavy with fear and doubt
That she may not live till the year is out.
She is so strange,—so strange,—so strange!
She will live and thrive for many a year.