How happy the children felt in this beautiful place with all Nature vieing to show her sweetest charms. And how rich and rare were the gems of foliage and tree and humble creeping plants. How easy to forget everything—but joy—in this fairy paradise that Fancy so deftly pictured for them! Could there be anything sad in Flower Land? They could not believe it possible, and yet when a tiny little fairy stepped from a cluster of wild flowers and sang them the song of the Lily and the Rose, diamond tears stole down the cheeks of the little lass and the little lad.
The Rose and the Lily.
A tender Rose, so pretty and sleek,
Loved a Lily pure and white;
And paid his court with breathings meek—
Watching o'er her day and night.
While the Lily bowed her virgin head,
The Rose his message sent;
The Lily clung to her lover red,
And gave her shy consent.
The Violets cooed, and the Hare-bells rang,
And the Jasmine shook with glee;
While the birds high in the branches sang,
"Forget not true to be."
Dear Flora came the wedding to see,—
The Cowslips had decked the bride,
The Red Rose trembled so nervously—
His blushes he could not hide.
The Daisies opened their wee white eyes,
The Pinks came down in rows;
"Forget-me-not!" the Lily cries,
"My own, my sweet Moss Rose!"
The Violets cooed, and the Hare-bells rang,
And the Jasmine shook with glee;
While the birds high in the branches sang,
"O may you happy be!"
The Flower-fairies were gathered there,
And every plant as well,
To attend the wedding of this pair
So sweet that no pen can tell.
But a cruel wind came sweeping by—
The Lily drooped and died....
Then the Red Rose gave one tearful sigh,
And joined his Lily bride.
The Violets wept, and the Hare-bells sobbed,
The Myrtle and Jasmine sighed;
The birds were hushed as their hearts all throbbed
At the death of the Rose's bride.
Before the children had time to grow too sorrowful, there was a fluttering in the air and a rushing among the plants and flowers as the Zankiwank bounded into their presence, cutting so many capers that they were glad they were not to have mutton for dinner, as certainly all the capers would be destroyed.