Once in the morning when the breeze
  Set all the leaves astir,
And music floated from the trees
  As from a dulcimer,
I saw the roses, one by one,
  Bow gracefully, as though
A fairy dance were just begun
  Upon the ground below.

The lilies white beside the walk,
  Like ladies fair and tall
Together joined in whispered talk
  About the fairies' ball.
The slender grasses waved along
  The garden path, and I
Could almost hear the fairies' song
  When blew the light wind by.

I waited there till noon to hear
  The elfin music sweet;
I saw the servant bees appear
  In golden jackets neat;
And though I wished just once to see
  The happy little elves,
They were so much afraid of me
  They never showed themselves!