A giantess, whose son Loki had killed, came with a great serpent, which she fastened directly over Loki’s head; and from the serpent’s mouth dripped poison, which fell, drop by drop, upon Loki’s upturned face.  His wife, Sigyn, could not bear to see her husband in such agony, so she took her stand beside him, cup in hand, and caught the poison as it fell.  There through the ages on ages she stood, relieving Loki’s pain, and trying to cheer him, for whom there was no cheer.  When the cup was filled and she had to go to the cavern’s mouth to empty it, then the venom fell on Loki’s face, and in his terrible pain he struggled and writhed until the earth shook.  And all the people, startled at their work or from their sleep, cried, “Loki’s earthquake!”

SEVEN TIMES ONE

By Jean Ingelow

There’s no dew left on the daisies and clover,
There’s no rain left in heaven;
I’ve said my “seven times” over and over—­
Seven times one are seven.

I am so old, so old I can write a letter;
My birthday lessons are done;
The lambs play always, they know no better;
They are only one times one.

O moon! in the night I have seen you sailing
And shining so round and low;
You were bright! ah, bright! but your light is failing—­
You are nothing now but a bow.

You moon, have you done something wrong in heaven,
That God has hidden your face? 
I hope if you have you will soon be forgiven,
And shine again in your place.

O velvet bee, you’re a dusty fellow,
You’ve powdered your legs with gold! 
O brave marsh marybuds, rich and yellow,
Give me your money to hold!

O columbine, open your folded wrapper,
Where two twin turtledoves dwell! 
O cuckoopint, toll me the purple clapper
That hangs in your clear green bell!

And show me your nest with the young ones in it;
I will not steal them away;
I am old! you may trust me, linnet, linnet—­
I am seven times one to-day.

Shuffle-shoon and amber-locks [Footnote:  From ‘Love Songs of Childhood’.  Copyright, 1894, by Eugene Field, published by Charles Scribner’s Sons.]

By Eugene Field

Shuffle-Shoon and Amber-Locks
Sit together, building blocks;
Shuffle-Shoon is old and gray,
Amber-Locks a little child.

But together at their play
Age and Youth are reconciled,
And with sympathetic glee
Build their castles fair to see.

“When I grow to be a man,”
(So the wee one’s prattle ran),
“I shall build a castle so—­
With a gateway broad and grand;
Here a pretty vine shall grow,
There a soldier guard shall stand;
And the tower shall be so high,
Folks will wonder, by and by!”

Shuffle-Shoon quoth:  “Yes, I know;
Thus I builded long ago! 
Here a gate and there a wall,
Here a window, there a door;
Here a steeple wondrous tall
Riseth ever more and more! 
But the years have leveled low
What I builded long ago!”