A Home-Made Fairy-Tale

Bud, come here to your Uncle a spell,And I'll tell you something you mustn't tell--For it's a secret and shore-nuff true,And maybe I oughtn't to tell it to you!--But out in the garden, under the shadeOf the apple-trees where we romped and playedTill the moon was up, and you thought I'd goneFast asleep.--That was all put on!For I was a-watchin' something queerGoin' on there in the grass, my dear!'Way down deep in it, there I seeA little dude-Fairy who winked at me,And snapped his fingers, and laughed as lowAnd fine as the whine of a mus-kee-to!I kept still--watchin' him closer--andI noticed a little guitar in his hand,Which he leant 'ginst a little dead bee--and laidHis cigarette down on a clean grass-blade;And then climbed up on the shell of a snail--Carefully dusting his swallowtail--And pulling up, by a waxed web-thread,This little guitar, you remember, I said!And there he trinkled and trilled a tune--"My Love, so Fair, Tans in the Moon!"Till presently, out of the clover-topHe seemed to be singing to, came k'pop!The purtiest, daintiest Fairy faceIn all this world, or any place!Then the little ser'nader waved his hand,As much as to say, "We'll excuse you!" andI heard, as I squinted my eyelids to,A kiss like the drip of a drop of dew!