* THE FIRE-DRAKE *

An’ it should be you’ d make,

All for your sweetheart’ s joy,

A jewelly fire-drake,

This goes unto the toy:

A dragon-fly that’ s blue,

With little glow-worms two,

And morning drops of dew

Upon a spider’ s thread.

All these are simple things

And easy to be got,

But now the fire-drake’ s wings

Will puzzle you, God wot.

The flash that in them lies

Shall come not from the skies,

But lights the diamond eyes

In your dear sweetheart’ s head.

Lacking that pearly gleam,

So magical to see,

Your gift is but a dream:

The fire-drake cannot be.

But if the maiden pout

And anger peepeth out,

Ere she your heart would flout

Fly to the priest and wed.

Better to love she turn

At her fond lover’ s side

Than for the fire-drake burn

And ever be denied.

Go husband and go wife,

Without one thought of strife,

In blessing of shared life

The marriage way to tread.