Page 168 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

In gleaming fight the darkness through.

‘Around May Ellen’s head they flew
In wide and windy fight,
And three times round the circle drew.
The guests shrank in affright,
And the priest beside the altar there,
Did cross himself with muttered prayer.

‘But the third time they flew around,
Fair Ellen straight was gone,
And in her place, upon the ground,
There stood a snow-white swan.
Then, with a wild and lovely song,
It joined the swift and winged throng.

‘There’s ancient men at weddings been,
For sixty years and more,
But such a wondrous wedding day,
They never saw before.
But none could check and none could stay,
The swans that bore the bride away.’

Not a sound broke the stillness when Allan a Dale had
done, but all sat gazing at the handsome singer, for so sweet
was his voice and the music that each man sat with bated
breath, lest one drop more should come and he should lose
it.
‘By my faith and my troth,’ quoth Robin at last, drawing

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