~The Fairies of Spring!

The Windflower Fairy;
While human-folk slumber,
The fairies espy
Stars without number
Sprinkling the sky.
The Winter's long sleeping,
Like night-time is done;
But day-stars are leaping
To welcome the sun.
Star-like they sprinkle
The wildwood with light;
Countless they twinkle-
The Windflowers white!

 
The Daisy Fairy;
Come to me and play with me,
I'm the babies flower,
Make a necklace gay with me,
Spend the whole long day with me,
Till the sunset hour.
I must say Good-night, you know,
Till tomorrow's playtime;
Close my petals tight, you know,
Shut the red and white, you know,
Sleeping till the daytime.

 
The Dandelion Fairy;
Here's the Dandelion's rhyme;
See my leaves with tooth-like edges;
Blow my clocks to tell the time;
See me flaunting by the hedges,
In the meadow, in the lane,
Gay and naughty in the garden;
Pull me up - I grow again,
Asking neither leave nor pardon.
Sillies, what are you about
With you spades and hoes of iron?
You can never drive me out -
Me, the dauntless Dandelion!

The Daffodil Fairy;
I'm everyone's darling;
the blackbird and starling
Are shouting about me from
blossoming boughs' For I, the Lent Lily,
the Daffy-down-dilly,
Have heard through
the country the call to arouse.
The orchards are ringing with
voices a-singing
The praise of my petticoat,
praise of my gown;
The children are playing, and hark!
They are saying
That Daffy-down-dilly is
come up to town!

 
The Song of the Crocus Fairies;
Crocus of yellow, new and gay;
Mauve and purple, in brave array;
Crocus white
Like a cup of light,-
Hundreds of them are smiling up,
Each with a flame in its shining cup,
By the touch of the warm and welcome
sun Opened suddenly, Spring's begun!
Dance then, fairies, for joy, and sing
The song of the coming again of Spring.

The Song of the Celandine Fairy;
Before the hawthorn leaves unfold,
Or buttercups put forth their gold,
By every sunny footpath shine
The stars of Lesser Celandine.
 
The Song of the Dog Violet Fairy;
The wren and robin hop around;
The Primrose-maids my neighbours be;
The sun has warmed the mossy grounds;
Where Spring has come, I too am found:
The Cuckoo's call has wakened me!

By Cicely Mary Barker