Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1881-12-29
AFairy Tale.

me 1ollOWlnS Is lrOil dii Olu
English book written more than
three hundred years ago. We
give it as an example Of the
literature of that day. The
quaint and curious style will
perhaps interest our readers
more than the matter of the
extract.-Ed.]
Presently the Queen gave the
sign for them to begin their
revels, and then the music
struck up a most ravishing min
strelsy; the dancers commenced
treading a measure with such
infinite grace as hath never
been visible to mortal eyes, and
the rest were disporting ofthem-
selves in all parts Of the mead
ow, laughing, jesting, feast
ing and making merry with such
a prodigality of happiness as
dull mortality hath no know
ledge of. Some were a hunting
ofthe field mice into their holes,
or driving the leaping frogs into
the river with a famous halloo-
ing and admirable cheerful
noise; others of the merry elves
were amusing of themselves by
jumping over the toadstools
that grew whereabouts and may
nap one not being so good a
leaper as his fellow would jump
clean into one ofthese dry fun
gous plants to the near smother
ing of himself in its dust and
choking of his companions with
laughter.
Then some of the Sylphs who
were not of the dancers were
engaged in making wreaths of
the 'delicatest blossoms in sea-
son either for those they affect
ed of the other sex or for their
own wear. Others were put
ting together a true love posie.
Here and there might be seen a
couple apart from the rest, by
the exquisite earnestness of their
countenances, declaring them
selves to be employed in such
delectable manner as showed
there was no lack of affection
ateness betwixt them A COM
pany of others had got in the
midst of them an elf of a most
jocund spirit, known TO divers
by the several names of Puck,
Robin Goodfellow, VIII O the
Wisp, who as was evident from
their faces, with his droll jests
and diverting tricks kept them
in a constant humor of laughing.
Here would be one mischievous
elf running after a sylph with
huge worm which, it was evil
dent she liked not the looks of;
and there another pelting a
companion with cowslips, who
was making ready to fling at
him with a like missile.
Now here and there were
seen amongst them such
abundance of passtime as was
quite a marvel to behold, in the
tricksy Will o the Wisp or Puck
or Robin Goodfellows as he
was variously called, did ap-
pear to enjoy himself to the
very bent of his humor. In the
meanwhile Titania and Oberon
moved from the banquet and
were soon pleasantly engaged,
treading a measure to the de-
licatest music ever known.
Ali of a sudden as they were
disporting of themselves every
one of them very merrily, there
came one fastening from the
other end of the meadow cry
ing out something, the which
as socn as twas heard, banquet,
canopy, dancers, musicians and
all the fairy world disappeared
in the twinkling of an eye and
of that gallant company no
vestige remained. The blades
of the young grass, unframed
by the light footfals of the tiny
dancers bent to the midnight
wind; the frogs came peering
from the rushes and the timid
water rat ventured to put her
head out OF the covered hole
beneath the rivers bank.