And Betty from the lane has fetched
  Her Pony, that is mild and good;
  Whether he be in joy or pain,
  Feeding at will along the lane, 35
  Or bringing faggots from the wood.

  And he is all in travelling trim,—­
  And, by the moonlight, Betty Foy
  Has on the well-girt saddle set [5]
  (The like was never heard of yet) 40
  Him whom she loves, her Idiot Boy.

  And he must post without delay
  Across the bridge and through the dale, [6]
  And by the church, and o’er the down,
  To bring a Doctor from the town, 45
  Or she will die, old Susan Gale.

  There is no need of boot or spur,
  There is no need of whip or wand;
  For Johnny has his holly-bough,
  And with a hurly-burly now 50
  He shakes the green bough in his hand.

  And Betty o’er and o’er has told
  The Boy, who is her best delight,
  Both what to follow, what to shun,
  What do, and what to leave undone, 55
  How turn to left, and how to right.

  And Betty’s most especial charge,
  Was, “Johnny!  Johnny! mind that you
  Come home again, nor stop at all,—­
  Come home again, whate’er befal, 60
  My Johnny, do, I pray you do.”

  To this did Johnny answer make,
  Both with his head and with his hand,
  And proudly shook the bridle too;
  And then! his words were not a few, 65
  Which Betty well could understand.

  And now that Johnny is just going,
  Though Betty’s in a mighty flurry,
  She gently pats the Pony’s side,
  On which her Idiot Boy must ride, 70
  And seems no longer in a hurry.

  But when the Pony moved his legs,
  Oh! then for the poor Idiot Boy! 
  For joy he cannot hold the bridle,
  For joy his head and heels are idle, 75
  He’s idle all for very joy.

  And while the Pony moves his legs,
  In Johnny’s left hand you may see
  The green bough [7] motionless and dead: 
  The Moon that shines above his head 80
  Is not more still and mute than he.

  His heart it was so full of glee,
  That till full fifty yards were gone,
  He quite forgot his holly whip,
  And all his skill in horsemanship:  85
  Oh! happy, happy, happy John.

  And while the Mother, at the door,
  Stands fixed, her face with joy o’erflows [8]
  Proud of herself, and proud of him,
  She sees him in his travelling trim, 90
  How quietly her Johnny goes.

  The silence of her Idiot Boy,
  What hopes it sends to Betty’s heart! 
  He’s at the guide-post—­he turns right;
  She watches till he’s out of sight, 95
  And Betty will not then depart.