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A poem by William Morris |
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Goldilocks And Goldilocks |
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Title: Goldilocks And Goldilocks Author: William Morris [More Titles by Morris] It was Goldilocks woke up in the morn There stood his mother on the hearth There stood his sisters by the quern, "O tell me Goldilocks my son, "Why should I wear the hodden grey "O tell us, brother, why ye wear Why hangeth the sharp sword at thy side "Gay-clad am I that men may know The grinded sword at side I bear "O tell me Goldilocks my son, "The morn is fair and the world is wide "O Brother, when wilt thou come again?" The frost and the snow, and St. David's wind, All these a many times shall be "O Goldilocks my son, farewell, "O brother Goldilocks, farewell, * * * * * So 'tis wellaway for Goldilocks, He's gotten him far from the Upland Town, He's come to the wild-wood dark and drear, He has slept in the moonless wood and dim He has risen up under the little light Six days therein has he walked alone On the seventh morn in the mirk, mirk wood, It was as one sees a flower a-bloom He deemed the fair thing far aloof, But the very first step he made from the place Face to face, and so close was she Sweet-mouthed she was, and fair he wist; Then first in the wood her voice he heard, "O thou fair man with the golden head, "My name is Goldilocks," said he; "O Goldilocks the Swain," she said, He spake, "Love me as I love thee, She said, "Fair man, I wot not how But come a little hence away, For hereby is a wood-lawn clear Therewith she took him by the hand * * * * * There on the grass they sat adown. In all the world was never maid No shoes upon her feet she had Through her brown kirtle's rents full wide An old scrip hung about her neck, No shame of all her rents had she; She leaned across the grassy space She said: "O hunger-pale art thou, She took him apples from her scrip, She took him cakes of woodland bread: She had a gourd and a pilgrim shell; She stroked his breast and his scarlet gear; Her arms about him did she wind; * * * * * "O love," she said, "now two are one, "Shall we fare further than this wood," She shook her head, and laughed, and spake; Had she been minded me to slay But thou: this hour the crone shall know No minute more on tidings wait, She led him from the sunlit green, There in the dusky wood, and dim, "Fair man, few people have I seen But I would have thee tell me now "Betwixt the mountains and the sea, Athwart the glimmering air and dim "But ne'er an one so shapely made He kissed her face, and cried in mirth: "Ever," she said, "I dwell alone And of this crone am I the thrall And fetch and carry in the wood, But whiles a sort of folk there come But such-like are they to behold Oft have I thought, if there be none Forsooth, I knew it was nought so, But fain and full is the heart in me Then hand in hand they stood awhile And he must fold her to his breast Till sundered she and gazed about, She spake: "The wood is growing thin, Now crouch we that we be not seen, Under the bramble-bush they lay * * * * * "O Goldilocks my love, look forth He said: "I see a house of stone, "Yea," quoth she, "There doth the mistress dwell "What lookest thou to see come forth?" "Then shall my sharp sword lock his mouth." "Then shall my sword his hot blood cool." "The trees its swelling flood shall stay, "Nay, it may be a wild-fire flash "On mine own hallows shall I call, "O Goldilocks my love, I fear Look forth, O Goldilocks my love, What cometh down the stone-wrought stair "Adown the doorward stair of stone "Yea, that forsooth shall my mistress be: "O fair she is of her array, "Unlike her wont is that indeed: "O nay, nay! But most wondrous fair "O Goldilocks, my heart, my heart! But up he sprang from the bramble-side, And forth he ran that Queen to meet, About his neck her arms she cast, And under the bramble-bushes lay * * * * * Thenceforth a while of time there wore, Throughout that house he wandered wide, But never he saw an evil crone, Never a barefoot maid did he see, He sat upon the golden throne, Kind she was, as she loved him well, But nought he laughed, nor spake again, Cold was his heart, and all afraid * * * * * Withal now was the wedding dight The night was gone, and the day was up And he sat at the board beside the Queen, But scarce was midmorn on the hall, Then up and down from the board they ran, There was the cry, and the laughter shrill, Whoso of men had hearkened it, Then spake the Queen o'er all the crowd, "Hold now your peace, ye routing swine, For this dusk is the very deed of a foe, And hard she spake, and loud she cried Then again she spake amidst of the mirk, "Whoso would have a goodly gift, Let him bring aback the light and the day, Out spake a voice was clean and clear: But I for the deed a gift shall gain, I shall sit at the board by the bride-groom's side, I shall eat of his dish and drink of his cup, Then was the Queen's word wailing-wild: Thou shalt sit by my groom till the dawn of night, Said the voice, "Yet shalt thou swear an oath "How shall I swear?" the false Queen spake: "Thou shalt swear by the one eye left in thine head, She swore the oath, and then she spake: And e'en therewith the thing was done; And again the Queen was calm and fair, Yet unto Goldilocks it seemed As if he sat in a grassy place, As if in the clearing of the wood And nought he saw of the guest-folk gay, Yet saw he betwixt board and door, Her gown of green so fair was wrought, But blossoms of the summer-tide, And, stepping towards him daintily, And as she went, from head to feet, Love floated round her, and her eyes But babbling-loud the guests were grown; * * * * * Now Goldilocks she sat beside, Yea too, and Goldilocks the Swain The Queen smiled o'er the guest-rich board, Though from his dish the Maiden ate, But now the Maiden fell to speak "O Goldilocks, dost thou forget? Forgettest thou the hunger-pain How there was nought to help or aid, She murmured, "Each to each we two, Hast thou forgot the grassy place, Hast thou forgot how fair I deemed Thy kisses on my shoulders bare, My arms that loved thee nought unkissed Hast thou forgot how brave thou wert, When underneath the bramble-bush Wondering what new-wrought shape of death Or else: forget'st thou, Goldilocks, Thy mother and thy sisters dear, Hast thou forgot? Hast thou forgot? * * * * * Silent the fair Queen sat and smiled For like an image fashioned fair These words seemed spoken not, but writ Vague pictures passed before his sight, * * * * * But the Maiden opened her basket fair, And soft they cooed, and sweet they billed Therewith the Maiden reached a hand And she crumbled a share of the spice-loaf brown, Then unto the fowl his eyes he turned; For somewhat that he could not name; And still he looked on the hands of the Maid, And he murmured low, "O Goldilocks! Then the false Queen knit her brows and laid He turned his eyes away thereat, * * * * * But the queen-bird now the carle-bird fed Then with wheedling voice for more he craved, And the crumbs within her hollow hand But Goldilocks, he looked and longed, For when she came to the hand to eat Then Goldilocks the Swain spake low: As I to Goldilocks, my sweet, He felt her hand as he did speak, He turned and stood in the evil hall, Then was there hubbub wild and strange, The fair Queen into a troll was grown, And though the hall was yet full fair, On evil shapes it fell forsooth: And bare-boned bodies of vile things, And all these mopped and mowed and grinned, There stood those twain unchanged alone She crouched against them by the board; Thy sword, O Goldilocks! For see Out flashed the blade therewith. He saw Holding within her hand a cup Then Goldilocks cried out and smote, The head fell noseling to the floor; And ran along a sparkling flame Then empty straightway was the hall, So fled away the Maid and Man, * * * * * Fast fled they o'er the sunny grass Ere cried the Maid: "Now cometh forth Turn Goldilocks, and heave up sword!" And faced the beast, that whined and cried, But round him the Swain danced and leaped, And then the ancient blade he sheathed, And caught her in his arms and ran * * * * * Yet therewithal he spake her soft Until from kissed and trembling mouth He set her down and turned about, And therewith scaly coil on coil The gaping jaw and teeth of dread But with no fear, no thought, no word, And the hot blood ran from the hairy throat, Then back he turned and caught her hand, But as they ran on toward the wood, * * * * * She looked back o'er her shoulder fair: And now availeth nought the blade: But now my feet fail. Leave me then! He caught her in his arms again; Her body in his arms was dear: Like quicksilver came on the flood: She slid from out his arms and stayed; "If e'er I saved thee, lovely tree, Look how the venom creeps anigh, She crouched beside the upheaved root, Then with a sucking gasping sound * * * * * Up then she rose and took his hand "Come, love," she cried, "the ways I know, O love, I love thee! O thine heart! Therewith they saw the tree-dusk lit, "O flee," she said, "the sword is nought "But this availeth yet," said he, He turned about and faced the glare: Now help me, true St. Nicholas, Therewith the wild-fire waned and paled And all about 'twas as the night. And now meseems all were but good She fawned upon him, face and breast; And yet, O love, if thou be true, Sweetly he kissed her, cheek and chin: "O love, my love, I needs must sleep; And, toiling sorely, still bear on "O easy toil," he said, "to bless She smiled; "Yea, easy it may seem, For hearken! Whatso thou mayst see, Heed not nor hearken! bear me forth, For all earth's wealth that may be found To help, to hinder, or to save! * * * * * He took her body on his arm, Then glad he bore her on the way, All still it was, till suddenly Yet on he went until he heard "Help me, O help, thou passer by! I am a woman; bound and left Then died the voice out in a moan; And minding all she spake to him * * * * * But lighter grew the woodland green And therewith wild halloos he heard, Nigher it grew and yet more nigh A woman bare of breast and limb, E'en as she ran: for hard at heel And yelling mouth. Then the swain stood Trembling, ashamed: Yet now grown wise So onward swiftlier still he strode And yet in but a little space And well-nigh gripped now by the man, And underneath the gleaming steel She looked up; sobs were all her speech, While o'er her head the chaser stared, Doubted the swain, and a while did stand Upon his hand he felt her breath Sleek was her arm on his scarlet coat, But e'en therewith he looked aside Then he tore his coat from the woman's hand, But swiftly thence away he strode And there rose behind him laughter shrill, He looked around o'er all the place, And as he looked the night-mirk now Then stirred the sweetling that he bore, Nought might he see her well-loved face; "'Tis night," she said, "and the false day's gone, Night o'er the earth; so rest we here For overcome is every foe So 'neath the trees they lay, those twain, But when the morrow's dawn was grey And when on their feet they came to stand And he spake: "O love, my love indeed, For again thy naked feet I see, Through thy rent kirtle once again She blushed as red as the sun-sweet rose: That the false Queen dight to slay my heart; Yet must I bear them, well-beloved, And this tattered coat is now for a sign Now wilt thou lead along thy maid As stoops the falcon on the dove He kissed her over, cheek and chin, Then hand in hand they went their way At last behind them lies the wood, On the hill's brow awhile they stay He sheareth a deal from his kirtle meet, He windeth a wreath of the beechen tree, And a wreath of woodbine sweet, to hide And a crown of poppies red as wine, She kissed her love withal and smiled: Most meet and right meseems it now For betwixt the oak-tree and the thorn And if my mother aught I knew And O that thou art well at ease Now Goldilocks and Goldilocks But when anigh to the town they come, And many a man and maid beside, "O Goldilocks, now whither away? "O this is Goldilocks my bride, And unto the Fathers' House we wend "Up then on the wain, that ye may see That ye may see how kith and kin So Goldilocks and Goldilocks And fair maids sing before the wain, But when they came to the Fathers' door, Yet was her hair with grey but blent, There by the door his sisters stood; Little they were when he went away; * * * * * "O tell me, Goldilocks, my son, "I have wooed me a wife in the forest wild, "A little deed to do, O son, "O mother, yet is the summer here And therewith an Evil Thing have I slain; "O Goldilocks, my son, my son! But how long the time that is worn away! And lo these sisters here, thine own, Come, see thy kin in the feasting-hall, O son, O son, we are blithe and fain; The frost and the snow, and St. David's wind, All these a many times have been * * * * * Then never a word spake Goldilocks And there beside his love he stood Then round her love his arms he cast: But many the years that yet shall be Come, love, and look on the Fathers' Hall, For now the Fathers' House is kind, And Goldilocks and Goldilocks [The end] GO TO TOP OF SCREEN |