* THE SEVEN MAIDENS *

In far away and olden times

Sped from their hamlet seven maids

To dim and moonlit heather glades,

Upon the hour of midnight chimes.

One passion drew them secretly;

One master joy their little feet

Called to that desolate retreat,

Where never mortal man might see.

’ Twas blue-eyed Dian who led the dance,

With Linnette, Bethkin, Jennifer,

Avisa, Petronell and Nance.

Unknown they kept their nightly cheer;

Unguessed beneath the moon they kept

Brave frolic, while the village slept,

Nor dreamed the danger drawing near;

For on a holy Sabbath even,

When pirouette had been a shame,

Walking sedate, strange music came

To tempt the toes of all the seven —

Of blue-eyed Dian, who led the dance,

Of Linnette, Bethkin, Jennifer,

Avisa, Petronell and Nance.

The demon Piper tuned his reed

To madden each light-footed maid.

They listened, wondering, unafraid,

Nor thought upon the sorry speed

Awaiting any wanton one

Who’ d sport upon the Lord’ s own Day;

Then, tripping through that dimpsy grey,

Quick fingers joined — the deed was done!

For blue-eyed Dian had dared to dance

With Linnette, Bethkin, Jennifer,

Avisa, Petronell and Nance.

Their eyes like emeralds through the gloom,

Leapt elves and fairies, gnomes and imps,

In fearful haste to win a glimpse

Of the unhappy maidens’ doom;

For sudden rang a thunder-shock

And flashed blue lightning-fork, to show

Beneath its grim and baleful glow,

Each flying girl turned to a rock!

Alas for Dian, who led the dance,

For Linnette, Bethkin, Jennifer,

Avisa, Petronell and Nance.

And now, at every Hunter’ s moon,

That haggard cirque of stones so still

Awakens to immortal thrill,

And seven small maids in silver shoon,

’ Twixt dark of night and white of day,

Twinkle upon the sere, old heath,

Like living blossoms in a wreath,

Then shrink again to granite grey.

So blue-eyed Dian shall ever dance

With Linnette, Bethkin, Jennifer,

Avisa, Petronell and Nance.