OF GERMANY.
229
where he, having first clapped an ass’s head on Bottom’s shoulders, exclaims:—
‘I’ll follow you, I’ll lead you about, around,
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier,
Sometimes a horse I’ll be, sometimes a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.’
Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier,
Sometimes a horse I’ll be, sometimes a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn,
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.’
40.—THE KNIGHTS ON THE BLACK HORSE.
At Kindelsberg, on the castle high,
An ancient lime-tree grows,
With goodly branches, wide outspread,
Which rave as the wild wind blows.
An ancient lime-tree grows,
With goodly branches, wide outspread,
Which rave as the wild wind blows.
There stands a stem, both broad and tall,
Quite close this lime-tree, behind,
It is grey, and rough all over with moss,
And shakes not with the wind.
Quite close this lime-tree, behind,
It is grey, and rough all over with moss,
And shakes not with the wind.
There sleeps a maiden the mournful sleep,
Who to her knight was true:—
He was a noble count of the Mark,
Her case she well might rue.
Who to her knight was true:—
He was a noble count of the Mark,
Her case she well might rue.
With her brother to a distant land,
To a knight’s feud he did repair,
He gave to the maiden the iron hand,
They parted with many a tear.
To a knight’s feud he did repair,
He gave to the maiden the iron hand,
They parted with many a tear.
