66 - ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



DAFFY-DOWN-DILLY. 



POOR little daffy-down-dilly ! 

 She slept with her head on a rose, 

 When a sly moth-miller kissed her, 

 And left some dust on her nose. 



Poor little daffy-down-dilly ! 



She woke when the clock struck ten, 

 And hurried away to the fairy queen's ball, 



Down in the shadowy glen. 



Poor little daffy-down-dilly ! 



Right dainty was she, and fair, 

 In her bodice of yellow satin, 



And petticoat green and rare. 



But to look in her dew-drop mirror, 

 She quite forgot when she rose, 



And into the queen's high presence 

 Tripped with a spot on her nose. 



Then the little knight who loved her 

 O, he wished that he were dead ; 



And the queen's maid began to titter, 

 And tossed her saucy head. 



And up from her throne so statel) r , 

 The wee queen rose in her power, 



Just waved her light wand o'er her, 

 And she changed into a flower. 



Poor little daffy-down-dilly ! 



Now in silver spring time hours, 

 She wakes in the sunny meadows, 



And lives with other flowers. 



Her beautiful yellow bodice, 



With green skirts wears she still ; 



And the children seek and love her, 

 But they call her daffodil. 



To him who in the love of nature holds 

 Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 

 A various language." % 



BRYANT'S Thanatopsts. 



