The Song of The Apple Blossom Fairies

Up in the tree we see you , blossom-babies
All pink and white;
We think there must be fairies to protect you
From frost and blight,
Until, some windy day, in drifts of petals,
You take your flight.

You'll fly away! But if we wait with patience,
Some day we'll find
Here, in your place, full-grown and ripe, the apples
You left behind -
A goodly gift indeed, from blossom babies
To human-kind!

The Song of The Bugle Fairy

At the edge of the woodland
Where good fairies dwell,
Stands, on the look-out,
A brave sentinel.

At the call of his bugle
Out the elves run,
Ready for anything,
Danger, or fun,
Hunting, or warfare,
By moonshine or sun.

With bluebells and campions
The woodlands are gay,
Where bronzy-leaved Bugle
Keeps watch night and day.

The Song of
The Columbine Fairy

Who shall the chosen fairy be
For letter C?
There's Candytuft, and Cornflower blue,
Chrysanthemum so bold and fine,
And pretty dancing Columbine.

Yes, Columbine! The choice is she;
And with her, see,
An elfin piper, piping sweet
A little tune for those light feet
That dances, among the leaves and flowers
In someone's garden.
(Is it ours?)

The Song of The Double Daisy Fairy

Dahlias and Delphiniums,
you're too tall for me;
Isn't there a little flower
I can choose for D?

In the smallest flower-bed
Double Daisy lifts his head,
With a smile to greet the sun,
You, and me, and everyone.

Crimson Daisy, now I see
You're the little lad for me!

The Song of The Eyebright Fairy

Eyebright for letter E:
Where shall we look for him?
Bright eyes we'll need to see
Someone so small as he.
Where is the nook for him?

Look on the hillside bare,
Nibbled by bunnies;
Harebells and thyme are there,
All in the open air
Where the great sun is.

There in the turf is he,
(No sheltered nook for him!)
Eyebright for letter E,
Saying, "Please, this is me!"
That's where to look for him.

The Song of TheFuchsiaFairy

Fuchsia is a dancer
Dancing on her toes,
Clad in red and purple,
By a cottage wall;
Sometimes in a greenhouse,
In frilly white and rose,
Dressed in her best for the fairies' evening ball!

The Song of
The Gorse Fairies

"When gorse is out of blossom,"
(Its prickles bare of gold)
"Then kissing's out of fashion,"
Said country-folk of old.
Now Gorse is in its glory
In May when skies are blue,
But when time is over,
Whatever shall we do?

O dreary would the world be,
With everyone grown cold -
Forlorn as prickly bushes
Without their fairy gold!
But this will never happen:
At every time of year
You'll find one bit of blossom -
A kiss from someone dear!

The Song of The Herb Twopence Fairy

Have you pennies? I have many:
Each round leaf of mine's a penny,
Two and two along the stem -
Such a business, counting them!
(While I talk, and while you listen,
Notice how the green leaves glisten,
Also every flower-cup:
Don't I keep them polished up?)

Have you one name? I have many:
"Wandering Sailor", "Creeping Jenny",
"Money-wort", and of the rest
"Strings of Sovereigns" is the best,
(That's my yellow flowers, you see.)
"Meadow Runagates" is me,
And "Herb Twopence". Tell me which
Show I stray, and show I'm rich?

The Song of The Iris Fairy

I am Iris: I'm the daughter
Of the marshland and the water.
Of the clear and peaceful stream;
Water-lilies large and fair
With their leaves are floating there;
All the water-world I see,
And my own face smiles at me!

The Song of
The Jasmine Fairy

In the heat of summer days
With sunshine all ablaze,
Here, here are cool green bowers,
Starry with Jasmine flowers;
Sweet-scented, like a dream
Of Fairyland they seem.

And when the long hot day
At length has worn away,
And twilight deepens, till
The darkness comes - then, still,
The glimmering Jasmine white
Gives fragrance to the night.

The Song of
The Kingcup Fairy

Golden King of marsh and swamp,
Reigning in your springtime pomp,
Hear the little elves you've found
Trespassing on royal ground:-

"Please, your Kingship, we were told
Of your shinning cups of gold;
So we came here, just to see -
Not to rob your Majesty!"

Golden Kingcup, well I know
You will smile and let them go!
Yet let human folk beware
How they thieve and trespass there:

Kingcup-laden, they may lose
In the swamp their boots and shoes!

The Song of The Lily-Of-The-Valley Fairy

Gentle fairies, hush your singing:
Can you hear my white bells ringing,
Ringing as from far away?
Who can tell me what they say?

Little snowy bells out-springing
From the stem and softly ringing -
Tell they of a country where
Everything is good and fair?

Lovely, lovely things for L!
Lilac, Lavender as well;
And, more sweet than rhyming tells,
Lily-of-the-Valley bells.