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 a 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!