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THE FAMILY OF O'BORK; 

 A FAIRY TALE. 



BY P. E. BYRNE. 



" Fairyland was the dream of the world when awaking 

 From the second long slumber of darkness and dread, 



When even Superstition began to be taking 



Some tinges of beauty and light ere she fled." ZAHACH. 



IN Erin's isle, some centuries ago, 



Fairies were very num'rous ; and, at dawn 



Of morn, it was not difficult to know 

 Where they, the night before, amid the lawn, 



Had " tripp'd it on the light fantastic toe," 

 For there you'd find an emerald circle drawn 



The spot where hand- in-hand they'd danced around 



Some fairy bush, or flower of fairy ground. 



This circle, too, was gen'rally espied 



Described around the haunted founts, where they 

 Their secret revels used to hold, what tide 



The pale moon lighted their fantastic play ; 

 Woe to the miserable wight that tried 



The myst'ries of their gambol to survey. 

 There was a power in every fairy spring 

 To work the pleasure of the fairy king. 



One sprinkle of it, if they don't belie it, 



Could make the young and beautiful grow old, 



And wither in a moment, at his " fiat !" 

 And then again, aged granies, we are told, 



Have been transformed into sweet things to sigh at, 

 The lovely have been made a hundred-fold 



More lovely and the ugly had a treat 



Of asses' heads, boars' tusks, and cloven feet. 



But here 'tis only justice unto him 



The majesty of Elfland to declare 

 Such favours were not the effect of whim, 



Upon the part of th' Emperor of air, 

 Being in general the very trim 



Best suited to the wights ordained to wear ; 

 According to their several merits good 

 And evil meeting the reward they should. 



This truth, I think, was never shown more clear 

 Than in the fact the following tale relates, 



Which happened let me see, about the year 

 A.D. but I am very bad at dates 



And so I may as well omit it here, 



For fear of a mistake ; the book which states 



That, and such small particulars, odd rot it ! 



When coming from the country, I forgot it. 



