Chapter III: The Mermaid's Prophecy

The King he has caught the fair mermaid, and deep
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
In the dungeon has placed her, to pine and to weep,
Because his will she had not done.

The Queen of the Danes addressed two of her band:
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
"To come to my presence the mermaid command,
For my will by her it shall be done."

The mermaid came in, to the Queen she up went:
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
"What wilt thou, O Queen, that for me thou hast sent?
By me thy will can never be done."

The Queen the blue cushion stroked down with a smile:
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
"Sit down pretty mermaid and rest thee awhile,
My will by thee must now be done."

"Why seek'st thou, O Queen, to betray my young life?
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
For under that cushion is stuck a sharp knife,
By me thy will can never be done."

"If thou knowest that, then much more thou dost know,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
So do thou my destiny unto me show,
And thus by thee shall my will be done."

"If I should thy destiny to thee announce,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
On a fire of faggots thoud'st burn me at once!
By me unwilling your will is done.

"Three babes thou shalt bear, each a beautiful boy,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
And in leaving thy womb they thy life shall destroy,
And thus fair Queen thy will is done."

"If with me, luckless me, it no better shall speed,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
Inform me what fortune for them is decreed,
For thus by thee can my will be done."

"The first shall be King in old Denmark of them,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
The next shall succeed to the gold diadem,
By me can thus thy will be done.

"The third as the wisest of mortals shall shine,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
And for him thou art doomed thy young life to resign,
Thus all your will, fair Queen, I've done."

In her mantle of azure the Queen wrapt her head,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
And unto the hall to the Monarch she sped,
For she her will had fairly done.

"Now hear my entreaty, my heart's belov'd Lord,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
To my own disposal this mermaid award,
For she my will has fairly done."

"I'll not give her thee, nor her life shalt thou save,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
For my seven brave vessels she swamped in the wave,
My pleasure thus she has not done."

Black, black as a clod grew the Queen at that word,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
And down she fell senseless before the King's board,
Because her will she had fairly clone.

"My Queen and my dearest! thy heart shall not break,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
Thou art free to the strand the fair mermaid to take,
Because thy will she has fairly done."

The mermaid in scarlet so fine she array'd,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
Although she had heard her own death by her spaed,
For thus, for thus, her will she'd done.

The Queen gave command to the maids in her train:
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
"Convey ye the mermaid hence down to the main,
For she my will has fairly done."

Upon the blue billows the mermaid they place,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
The Queen fell to weeping, and sad was each face,
For she her will, alack! had done.

"O prythee don't weep, and O prythee don't grieve,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
Heaven's portals stand open thy soul to receive,
Now I thy will have fairly done.

"In the mansions of Heaven thou aye shalt remain,
(_The mermaid dances the floor upon_)
And there perfect quiet and rest thou shalt gain--
Now all thy will, fair Queen, I've done!"

ROSMER.

Buckshank bold, and Elfinstone,
And more than I can mention here.
They caused to be built so stout a ship,
And unto Iceland they will steer.

They launched the ship upon the sea,
Which bellowed like a wrathful bear;
Down to the bottom the vessel sank,
A laidly Trold has dragged it there.

Sank to the bottom the young Roland,
And round about he groped awhile.
Until he found the path which led
Unto the bower of Ellenlile.

Young Roland towards the mountain goes,
He saw the little sparkles fly:
"Betide whate'er the Lord God will
I here will house me verily."

Young Roland into the mountain went,
Benumbed with cold his limbs they shook:
"What dost thou here, thou wretched man,
On whom the Lord with pity look?"

Then up and spoke Dame Ellenlile:
"Young swain why hither hast thou come?
What message hast thou brought to me?
Thou'dst better far have staid at home.

"Now hie thee to the chamber in,
So frozen and so wet withal;
But cometh Rosmer Giant home
He'll tear thee into pieces small.

"Now sit thee down, thou wretched lad,
And at the fire thy body cheer;
If Rosmer Giant come striding in
He'll stick thee on this spit, I fear."

Then home came Rosmer Shank-stretcher,
And thus in anger he began:
"Full certainly there's hither come
Some Christian woman, child, or man."

Then forward stepped she, Ellenlile,
And swore so high and solemnly:
"A crow which bore a dead man's leg
E'en now across the house did fly.

"A crow which bore a dead man's leg
Just now across our house did fly;
He cast it in, I cast it out,
And that I trow full speedily."

But Rosmer shrieked and sprang about:
"Some Christian wight thon dost conceal,
And I will spit and burn thee, Dame,
Unless the truth thou dost reveal."

Then Ellenlile her mantle donned,
And went and stood by Rosmer's knee:
"O here's a swain from Iceland come,
And he's of nearest kin to me."

"If there's a swain from Iceland come,
And if he be thy kinsman near,
Then I to him will safety pledge,
No harm from me he need to fear."

When he two years in the sea had been,
Young Roland he would fain be gone;
For Ellenlile was now with child,
A deed of folly had been done.

When that perceived proud Ellenlile,
Near Rosmer King she took her stand:
"Now wilt thou give the stranger lad
Leave to return to his own land?"

"And if the swain for home doth long,
Then I will take him to the shore;
And I will give him silver and gold,
And in a coffer it will store.

And so he took the ruddy gold,
And in a coffer it he laid;
Unknown to him proud Ellenlile
So sly therein herself convey'd.

He takes the man beneath his arm,
The coffer on his back he throws;
Then away, away beneath the salt spray
Striding the Giant Rosmer goes.

"Now have I brought thee to the land,
And moon and sun thou canst behold;
And now to use as thou shalt chuse
I give this coffer filled with gold."

"I thank thee, Rosmer, honest man,
Thou'st brought me out of the ocean wild;
And now I'll tell thee a piece of news,
The proud Dame Ellen is with child."

Then ran the tears down Rosmer's cheeks,
As falls the dew on hill and plain:
"If thou hadst not my troth and oath
Here as thou standest thee I'd brain."

Rosmer hied to the hill so fast,
As hind before the hart doth run;
And when he came within the hill
Behold proud Ellenlile was gone.

But Ellenlile took Roland's hand,
'Midst sport and jest away they hied;
To young Roland she told her tale,
And Roland served her as a guide.

When Rosmer saw his love was gone,
So full was he of grief and dool,
He turned him into a huge grey rock,
And there he standeth like a fool.

* * * * *

LONDON:
Printed for THOMAS J. WISE, Hampstead, N.W.
_Edition limited to Thirty copies_.

_Copyright in the United States of America_
_by Houghton Mifflin & Co._, _for Clement Shorter_.