The Christmas Ball

by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

　　THE fiddlers were scraping so cheerily, O,With a one, two, three, and a one, two, three,And the children were dancing so merrily, O,All under the shade of the Christmas-tree.O, bonny the fruit on its branches whichgrows!And the mistletoe bough from the ceiling hung!The fiddlers they rosined their squeakingbows,And the brave little lads their partnersswung.Oh, the fiddlers they played such a merry tune,With a one, two, three, and a one, two, three,And the children they blossomed like rosesin June,All under the boughs of the Christmas-tree.And the fiddlers were scraping so merrily, O,With a one, two, three, anda one, two, three;And the children were dancing so cheerily, O,All under the shade of theChristmas-tree—The girl-fairy in cobweb frock.When, all of a sudden, a fairyland crewCame whirling airily into the room,As light as the fluffy balls, they flew,Which fly from the purple thistle-bloom.There were little girl-fairies in cobweb frocksAll spun by spiders from golden threads,With butterfly-wings and glistening locks,And wreaths of dewdrops around their heads!There were little boy-fairies in jewelled coatsOf pansy velvet, of cost untold,With chains of daisies around their throats,And their heads all powdered with lily-gold!The boy-fairy in jewelled coat.The fiddlers they laughed tillthey scarce could see,And then they fiddled so cheerily, O,And the fairies and children around the tree,They all went tripping so merrily, O.The fiddlers they boxed up their fiddles all;The fairies they silently flew away;But every child at the Christmas ballHad danced with a fairy first, they say.So they told their mothers—and did not youEver have such a lovely time at your play,My boy and my girl, that it seemed quite trueThat you'd played with a fairy all the day? Featured in our selection of Christmas Stories for Children and Children's Poems.

　　If you enjoyed this poem, you might like Freeman's The Brownie's Xmas. Enjoy our selection of Christmas Stories for all ages.