Rhymes of a Child's World by Miriam Clark Potter - HTML preview

 THE FAIRY’S NAME WAS WHISPER

The fairy’s name was Whisper, and she flew around at night;

She filled the lamps of evening, and she set the grasses right;

She waked a lazy glow-worm, where the mossy wood-spring drips,

And hushed the noisy froggies, with her finger on her lips.

“It’s time to sleep! It’s time to sleep!” she told the forest birds;

She soothed the hurried river, with a chant of magic words;

And, finding Billy Beaver, who had planned to work at night,

She sent him off to bed at once, by winking fire-fly light.

The fairy’s name was Whisper; and this I know is true;

And when she’d hung the mists out, there were other things to do;

She caught her robes about her, and she flew from door to door,

To set the babies sleeping, in a hundred homes or more.

And here’s a little baby, who would like to stay awake,

For happy lights are riding, in the boats upon the lake;

And here a baby cuddles,—and here a baby cries,—

And Whisper finds the newest one, and shuts her tiny eyes.

And do the mothers see her? O never; not at all;

The kitten doesn’t see her, nor the clock upon the wall;

But all the nodding babies, who lie, or walk, or creep;

Know, “Whisper’s come to see us;” and then—they’re—off—to—sleep.