How joy was found a fantasy

Your feet are beautiful as a star. I wish that I could sing like the birds, Or blossom like the green wet earth, For my heart is full of mirth. But I can only glower and gaze While my mind plays, And sings and tumbles up and down Inside me, like a clown That makes me feel quite silly, Laughing willy-nilly, Like a man in love. Do you come from above, Or round about or below, Or anywhere I know? HERO I come through night-watching and tempest of sea where I am, because I am losing my children, and it has been told me there is not a man in all the world who can keep them for me but you. FINN [_Astonished._] Why, how can I do that when I must bear This heavy rainbow with me everywhere, And all the years Have found my laughter through a mist of tears? HERO Since you alone were strong enough to creep Into my mind, and fetch me out of sleep, You have attained my stature, and I find You are a man according to my mind. FINN [_Crying out, afraid._] It was a dream, only a dream I stole! I never did as much As touch Your garment’s hem. HERO No, but you clasped my soul. Virtue went out of me immediately The moment that your love was strong enough To push aside the earth and find the stuff That dreams are made on. Up through the senseless clay You sprang like some green sappy shoot, And touched the nervous thoughtful root That I am stayed on. FINN [_Dumbfounded._] It was a dream—I never knew— HERO I lay upon you As crosses and spells And seven fairy fetters of travelling and straying, To be with me before you shall eat food, Or drink a draught, Or close an eye in sleep. [_At his words a delicate web of gossamer covered with dewdrops, spiders’ webs, and flower seeds falls over Finn. The Hero leaves him spellbound, and, returning gaily to his boat, launches her and sails away. When the boat has vanished the web falls away, and Finn turns round with a cry which arouses the other men._] FINN Where is he? CONAN Who? FINN The stranger that was here anon. CONDHLA I never knew. CONAN Is he gone? ANGUS Which way did he go? FINN I do not know. GONACHRY What was he like? FINN I can’t tell. I must find him; he has gone Off with something I had on. CONAN You don’t look very well. GONACHRY [_Sarcastically._] I saw him running up the ben, As swift as a spot of sunlight when The clouds bend with a cup To pounce on him and cover him up Like a wasp inside a glass. ANGUS Hush! I hear Mactalla pass, He’s surely singing in his sleep. Since it’s never very deep, Let us rouse him up and speir If the stranger is still here. [_All cry aloud, against the rocks: “Mactalla! Mactalla! Mactalla!” The echo is returned mockingly: “Mactalla! Mactalla! Mactalla!”_] ANGUS Tut! He’s in a teasing mood to-day; We’ll get nothing out of him. I say! Answer, and I’ll promise you fair, A big laugh to yourself off the back of Ben Y Bheithir. MACTALLA[1] [_Mocking from somewhere._] I say! I say! A big laugh off the back of Ben Y Bheithir? ANGUS Ha! ha! You’re there, little fellow! Yes, at the back of Ben Bheithir, where the yellow Saxifrage grows out of the crannied rock, I’ll give you a laugh to yourself that’ll shock The natives, if you’ll tell us now Which way the stranger went. MACTALLA Bow-wow! I’ll have the big laugh out of you, But I cannot tell you true Which one way the stranger went, For he’s left an echo pent In everything he came across. I’m entirely at a loss. Can’t you catch it here and there? I think he must be everywhere. [_The growing things are heard talking._] ALDER-TREE Is that you, Grass? GRASS Yes, I am growing Under his feet, If the heather will let me pass. HEATHER I’ll try to, if you’ll meet Me half-way. SCOTCH PINE [_Loftily._] I say, There’s no knowing What she’ll be up to next. Take my text, And scarcely let yourself be seen, With anyone so very green. YEW-TREE [_Phlegmatically._] I am quite at a loss To know what came across My barrowful of withered leaves. ROWAN [_Gently._] A bairnie couped it, coming home from school, Among the sheaves. BIRCH [_Whispering._] Hush! hush! Softly, softly, my daughters; I hear the sound of mountain waters. BURN [_Singing._] Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! Hush! Let me down. Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! What a lot of trouble There is in the world Before you can get down To bed-rock, And stand stock Still As reserved, as reserved, as reserved as can be, Not letting slip A word over your lip. Oh! I say! Hurry! Hurry! I must get to the sea! Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! Hush! Let me down Without any more trouble, Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! Bubble! [_All remain listening, wrapt in wonder. Even Finn, who since the spell has been laid upon him has been sitting in great heaviness of mind, looks up and listens to the song with growing delight. Suddenly Angus roars with laughter._] MACTALLA [_Mocking._] Ha! Ha! Ha! Big Angus! Bow-wow! I said I’d have the big laugh out of you the now. ANGUS [_Unable to stop laughing._] Did ever anybody hear the like of that? [_The others look at him half-angrily._] CONAN What’s taken the fool! CONDHLA Pat him on the back. TORQUIL Can’t you hold your tongue. GONACHRY Did you ever hear of anyone that could! ANGUS [_In desperation._] Hold my tongue! Will that do any good? [_He tries to do so. It makes him laugh all the more, and one by one they all gradually join in his laughter except Finn, till they are roaring fit to split the rocks. Above it all Mactalla is heard mocking. At last Angus subsides, wiping the tears from his eyes._] CONAN What on earth are you laughing at? ANGUS Nothing on earth. What are you laughing at? CONAN How should I know? ANGUS Well, how should I know what I’m laughing at? CONAN Because you began, you gomeril. ANGUS Not I. GONACHRY Well, then, who did? ANGUS Mactalla. CONAN What was Mactalla laughing at? ANGUS That’s what I’d like to know. GONACHRY I never heard him. ANGUS That’s because you’ve no sense of humour. GONACHRY [_Fiercely._] I have a sense of humour. ANGUS Where is it, then? GONACHRY Up my sleeve. [_He looks up his sleeve and gives a sarcastic grin._] ANGUS Well, nobody can see it there But yourself, so you’d better take care. If folk don’t see what you’re laughing at They’ll end by laughing at you. CONAN [_Stooping to pick up a button._] What’s that? A button. Is it anywhere off me? [_He looks himself all over._] CONDHLA What’s it like? CONAN Greenish-white. No, it’s not off me As far as I can see. ANGUS [_Holding out his hand._] Here, it’s mine. I burst it laughing. [_Conan hands it over to him casually._] CONAN [_Lighting his pipe._] Come on! It’s time we were at work again. TORQUIL Are you taking the boat out to-day? CONAN Ay. [_Exit Conan, Condhla, and Torquil._] ANGUS [_To Finn._] Aren’t you coming? FINN [_Abstractedly._] Not to-day, not to-day. GONACHRY [_Laughing carelessly._] He looks to me as if he had gone daft. [_He slouches off after the others with his hands in his pockets._] ANGUS It’s very queer the way he never laughed. [_He goes up to Finn and gives him a hearty slap on the back._] Come, man! What ails you? FINN [_Throwing him off with sudden irritation._] Get away, you gomeril! ANGUS [_Aside._] He’s fey! [_He makes a sign to keep off the evil eye, and retreats hurriedly after the others, casting suspicious glances backwards at Finn._] FINN [_Seeing himself alone, with a sigh of relief hoists his rainbow resolutely and tightens his belt._] I will prick on my way Far into the country of my God, And if it be true, as they say, That He is calm and unhurried, Some day I shall break through a gap in the hedge And come upon Him seated by the road-edge. Then shall I say to Him these three things, baring my brow: “Wherefore art Thou, whence didst Thou come, and whither goest Thou? Answer, I pray, for I ask of Thee As one traveller of another.”