Part 31 (2/2)
”Then shall my sharp sword lock his mouth.”
”Nay,” she said, ”or a worm of the South.”
”Then shall my sword his hot blood cool.”
”Nay, or a whelming poison-pool.”
”The trees its swelling flood shall stay, And thrust its venomed lip away.”
”Nay, it may be a wild-fire flash To burn thy lovely limbs to ash.”
”On mine own hallows shall I call, And dead its flickering flame shall fall.”
”O Goldilocks my love, I fear That ugly death shall seek us here.
Look forth, O Goldilocks my love.
That I thine hardy heart may prove.
What cometh down the stone-wrought stair That leadeth up to the castle fair?”
”Adown the doorward stair of stone There cometh a woman all alone.”
”Yea, that forsooth shall my mistress be: O Goldilocks, what like is she?”
”O fair she is of her array, As. .h.i.therward she wends her way.”
”Unlike her wont is that indeed: Is she not foul beneath her weed?”
”O nay, nay! But most wondrous fair Of all the women earth doth bear.”
”O Goldilocks, my heart, my heart!
Woe, woe! for now we drift apart.”
But up he sprang from the bramble-side, And ”O thou fairest one!” he cried:
And forth he ran that Queen to meet, And fell before her gold-clad feet.
About his neck her arms she cast, And into the fair-built house they pa.s.sed.
And under the bramble-bushes lay Unholpen, Goldilocks the may.
Thenceforth a while of time there wore, And Goldilocks came forth no more.
Throughout that house he wandered wide, Both up and down, from side to side.
But never he saw an evil crone, But a full fair Queen on a golden throne.
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