human
What else?--(O, none shall envy her!) The rain And the wild weather will be most her own, And talk with her o' nights; and if the winds Have seen aught wondrous, they will tell it her In a mouthful of strange moans,--will bring from far, Her ears being keen, the lowing and the mad Masterful tramping of the bison herds, Tearing down headlong with their bloodshot eyes, In savage rifts of hair; the crack and creak Of ice-floes in the frozen sea, the cry Of the white bears, all in a dim blue world Mumbling their meals by twilight; or the rock And majesty of motion, when their heads Primeval trees toss in a sunny storm, And hail their nuts down on unweeded fields. No holidays, quoth she;
gpt
So Gladys thought,
human
A most strange woman, and she talks of me. With that a girl ran up;
gpt
Mother, she said,
human
Come out of this brown bight, I pray you now, It smells of fairies. Gladys thereon thought,
gpt
The mother will not speak to me, perhaps The daughter may, and asked her courteously,
human
What do the fairies smell of? But the girl With peevish pout replied,
gpt
You know, you know.
human
Not I, said Gladys; then she answered her,
gpt
Something like buttercups. But, mother, come, And whisper up a porpoise from the foam, Because I want to ride.
human
You freakish maid, Said she,
gpt
I only want,--you know I only want, The girl replied,
human
Then she turned And muttered low,
gpt
Mother, is this the girl Who saw the island? But the mother frowned.
human
When may she go to it? the daughter asked. And Gladys, following them, gave all her mind To hear the answer.
gpt
When she wills to go; For yonder comes to shore the ferry boat.
human
O rare, The island! fair befall the island; let Me reach the island. And she sprang on board, And after her stepped in the freakish maid And the fair mother, brooding o'er her child; And this one took the helm, and that let go The sail, and off they flew, and furrowed up A flaky hill before, and left behind A sobbing snake-like tail of creamy foam; And dancing hither, thither, sometimes shot Toward the island; then, when Gladys looked, Were leaving it to leeward. And the maid Whistled a wind to come and rock the craft, And would be leaning down her head to mew At cat-fish, then lift out into her lap And dandle baby-seals, which, having kissed, She flung to their sleek mothers, till her own Rebuked her in good English, after cried,
gpt
Luff, luff, we shall be swamped.
human
I will not luff, Sobbed the fair mischief;
gpt
human
For shame! the mother shrieked;
gpt
So she did, And presently a dolphin bouncing up, She sprang upon his slippery back,--
human
Farewell,