Classic Poem

Beach Bubbles

Three little spirits sat in the sea
Under the shade of a red coral tree.
Graceful and high its branches spread,
Hung with bright moss overhead;
Soft was the sand and white as snow,
Where many a gem was seen to glow;
The blue waves rolled like a cloudless sky,
And strange bright things went gliding by;
But the spirits stood all silently
In the rosy shade of the coral tree.
" Seaweed, " the eldest, was clad in green,
With a flowery crown and gems between.
She was slender and frail, and to and fro
Her light form bent with the waters' flow.
" Ripple, " the next, was robed in blue,
Where a sunny light seemed shining through;
She was graceful and quick, and her voice was sweet,
And when at play no wave more fleet.
" Pearl, " the youngest, was fair and pale;
Foam was her garment, and mist her veil;
She was gentle and kind, and all in the sea
Loved Pearl the best of the sisters three.
The Sea-King, their father, was lately dead,
And one of the three must reign in his stead.
They were fair and good, and the spirits all
Could not tell on whom the crown should fall.
So a council was held in the depths of the sea,
And a wise old sprite spake thus to the three: —
" Go, search far and wide through our ocean home,
Through cavern and cell fail not to roam,
And she who brings here the fairest thing
Shall wear the crown of our good old king.
Seaweed shall go to the far-off west,
And bear us thence the richest and best.
To the rosy east shall Ripple run,
And seek her gift toward the rising sun.
Pearl shall haste to the upper air,
And bring us down some treasure rare.
Till the full moon shines o'er the tranquil sea,
In your busy search ye may wander free;
But when her light o'er the waves is seen,
Then hasten back to choose the queen. "
All the spirits cried " So shall it be, "
And forth to their work went the sisters three.
When they'd said farewell 'neath the coral tree,
Seaweed went west, and long searched she
'Mid caverns and cells, damp, dark and low,
Hollowed in rocks by the waves' wild flow,
Where echoes strange through the arches rang,
And the winds' shrill voices loudly sang.
Here she gathered plants of many a hue,
Delicate seaweeds, green, orange, and blue,
Rare mosses that clung to the rocks so grey,
And made the waves with their colors gay.
All these she stored up, one by one,
Then with skillful hands a mantle spun.
Crimson and gold shone the border fair,
The rest was wrought with figures rare,
And fringed with floating seaweeds bright,
That lit the waves with their rainbow light.
" My work is not vain, " said the spirit fair,
" 'Tis a fitting robe for a queen to wear.
My task is done, I may idly roam
Till the full moon shines to call me home. "
Ripple hastened away toward the rising sun,
And singing gaily, her task begun.
'Mid the wrecks of ships sunk deep in the sea,
The little sprite toiled busily
To gather the jewels scattered there,
And many she found most rich and rare.
Deep in the sand she sought them out,
And carefully searched the dells about,
Till a costly pile lay gleaming bright
Where the sunbeams shone, with softened light,
Through billows blue that arched on high
O'er the spirits' home, like a sunny sky.
Then Ripple toiled with magic skill,
And wrought the bright stones to her will;
With links of gold she bound them all,
And formed a graceful coronal.
Like a starry crown it glittering lay,
Each jewel shedding its brightest ray;
While the happy spirit gaily said,
" I shall seek no more, my gift is made,
With the winds and waves I will dance and play
Till the summer moon shall call me away. "
Pearl floated up thro' spray and foam
Till far below lay her ocean home.
Long did she search, but all in vain,
She found no gift the crown to gain.
The time drew near, and she sought with speed
For some fair thing to help her need,
Like a snow flake over the waves she flew,
Till a green isle rose before her view;
Trees bent low to the murmuring sea,
And fresh winds rustled pleasantly,
Brilliant flowers with their odors sweet
Bent to the waves that kissed their feet,
And birds' glad voices echoed wide
To the melody of the whispering tide.
All these were fair to the spirit's eye,
Which seldom looked on earth or sky.
But fairer than bird or flowering spray
Was a little child on the shore at play,
Launching frail boats of leaf or shell,
With flowers or white foam laden well,
And laughing aloud in innocent glee,
As they floated or sunk in the sunny sea;
Chasing the beach birds, and bidding them stay
With winning voice, as they flitted away;
Catching bright bubbles with eager hand,
Or piling frail towers of yellow sand.
To the spirit's ear his childish words
Were sweeter far than the song of birds;
And she longed to be the summer air,
To kiss his cheek or play in his hair.
" We are pale and cold to this earth child bright,
And far less fair, " sighed the water sprite;
" I would I could win him to go with me,
My gift would then the loveliest be.
I will seek no more, but linger here,
And seek to render myself most dear
By every art and spell in my power,
And bear him away at the given hour. "
Then with music low on a hollow shell,
She danced on a wave as it rose and fell,
And with wooing words she softly smiled,
And beckoned away the wandering child,
Who watched her well in sweet surprise,
With joy and fear in his eager eyes.
Then she offered him sea flowers strange and rare,
And coral wreaths for his shining hair,
And sang soft melodies clear and wild,
Till she won the heart of the simple child.
Freely he took the gifts she bore,
Bidding her sing the gay songs o'er,
While he fearlessly dipped his little feet
In the waves she had rendered warm and sweet,
And hastened out thro' the gathering tide
To lie on a pillow of foam at her side,
While the winds with their music wild and free
Lulled him to sleep on the rocking sea.
Pearl knew not then that a mortal child
Would perish soon in her home so wild,
Or that loving hearts would sorrow long
If she lured him away with smile and song.
So she held him close, and laughed to see
How fair a gift he soon would be.
As she floated thus from the island shore,
A mournful voice, thro' the ocean's roar,
Fell on her ear, from the yellow sand,
Where she saw a weeping woman stand
With outstretched arms and accents wild,
Crying, " Oh give me back my child!
He cannot live in the great, cold sea,
Ah, spirit, lure him not from me! "
Silently Pearl heard the mournful cry,
And looked on the little one with a sigh,
Saying low to herself, " He is mine, I may go
With my beautiful gift to my home below.
I have sought in vain, 'twill be too late
For another search, and none will wait.
I shall never sit on my father's throne
If I give him back, and return alone
Without gift or treasure, to prove my right
To the royal crown and the sceptre bright.
Shall I do this thing so cruel and wrong,
Because he is weak and I am strong?
Ah no! let the crown and the kingdom go;
The voice of my own heart whispering low,
Will bring far greater joy to me
Than to rule as queen o'er the whole broad sea. "
And whispering softly a fond farewell,
Still decked with sea flower, leaf, and shell,
She folded him tenderly to her breast,
And floated back on a great wave's crest;
And with murmured blessings low and sweet,
Laid the little child at his mother's feet,
Then vanished silently 'mid the foam
And journeyed away to her distant home.
In the high and arched halls of coral red
The spirits' welcoming feast was spread,
And joyful greetings echoed wide,
As the sisters three stood side by side.
Then Seaweed and Ripple proudly showed
The crown and mantle that brightly glowed,
And the spirits then with wonder cried,
" They are fit for a queen in all her pride;
And Pearl's gift must be fair indeed,
These lovely offerings to exceed. "
Then Pearl, in a voice like a summer breeze,
Replied, " My gift was fairer than these;
A beautiful child, had I lured him down,
Had surely won for me the crown,
But a mother's tears I could not see,
So forgot myself, and set him free.
I can never reign, I know full well;
But a faithful subject I shall dwell,
And be happier far as a humble sprite
Than the proudest king, for my heart is light;
No bitter tears have been caused by me,
I am queen of myself , tho' not of the sea. "
A murmur low thro' the spirit throng
Like a sudden wind, stole soft along;
And approving smiles on good Pearl fell,
Showing they loved and honored her well.
Her sisters turned to smile with the rest,
But Ripple cried, as she raised her vest,
" Ah, sister Pearl, by what magic power
Have you won for yourself this lovely flower? "
And lo! on her bosom blooming lay
A bud she had caught from the child in play;
Its crimson leaves were spread apart,
And odors stole from its golden heart,
So strange and sweet, the coral bowers
Seemed filled with the breath of earthly flowers.
And the spirits all with one voice cried,
As they drew more close to glad Pearl's side,
" This magic flower so fresh and fair,
That does not fade in the ocean air,
Is a richer, rarer gift in the sea,
Than crown or robe can ever be.
The power that saves the delicate rose
Is the love that deep in her own heart glows,
For even here in our home so wild
The bud has bloomed in the light of her smile;
Her gift is the fairest here ever seen,
And gentle Pearl is our chosen queen. "