| |
| THE MILL goes toiling slowly around | |
| With steady and solemn creak, | |
| And my little one hears in the kindly sound | |
| The voice of the old mill speak. | |
| While round and round those big white wings | 5 |
| Grimly and ghostlike creep, | |
| My little one hears that the old mill sings | |
| “Sleep, little tulip, sleep!” | |
| |
| The sails are reefed and the nets are drawn, | |
| And, over his pot of beer, | 10 |
| The fisher, against the morrow’s dawn, | |
| Lustily maketh cheer. | |
| He mocks at the winds that caper along | |
| From the far-off clamorous deep,— | |
| But we—we love their lullaby song | 15 |
| Of “Sleep, little tulip, sleep!” | |
| |
| Old dog Fritz in slumber sound | |
| Groans of the stony mart: | |
| To-morrow how proudly he ’ll trot you round, | |
| Hitched to our new milk-cart! | 20 |
| And you shall help me blanket the kine | |
| And fold the gentle sheep, | |
| And set the herring a-soak in brine,— | |
| But now, little tulip, sleep! | |
| |
| A Dream-One comes to button the eyes | 25 |
| That wearily droop and blink, | |
| While the old mill buffets the frowning skies | |
| And scolds at the stars that wink; | |
| Over your face the misty wings | |
| Of that beautiful Dream-One sweep, | 30 |
| And rocking your cradle she softly sings | |
| “Sleep, little tulip, sleep!” | |
| |
