She said as she watched their curious flight,

“Little black things, good-night, good-night!”

The horses neighed, and the oxen lowed;

The sheep’s “Bleat, bleat!” came over the road,

All seeming to say with a quiet delight,

“Good little girl, good-night, good-night!”

She did not say to the sun, “Good-night!”

Though she saw him there like a ball of light;

For she knew he had God’s own time to keep

All over the world, and never could sleep.