But day by day, as the walls rose fair,
Darker and sadder grew Esbern Snare.
He listened by night, he watched by day,
He sought and thought, but he dared not pray;
In vain he called on the Elle-maids shy,
And the Neck and the Nis gave no reply.
Of his evil bargain far and wide
A rumor ran through the country-side;
And Helva of Nesvek, young and fair,
Prayed for the soul of Esbern Snare.
And now the church was well-nigh done;
One pillar it lacked, and one alone;

And the grim Troll muttered "Fool that thou art.
Tomorrow gives me thy eyes and heart."
By Kallunborg in black despair,

Through wood and meadow, walked Esbern
Snare,

Till, worn and weary, the strong man sank
Under the birches on Ulshoi bank.

At his last days' work he heard the Troll Hammer and delve in the quarry's hole; Before him the church stood, large and fair; "I have builded my tomb!" said Esbern Snare. And he closed his eyes the sight to hide, When he heard a light step by his side; "O Esbern Snare," a sweet voice said, "Would I might die now in thy stead." With a grasp by love and by fear made strong,

He held her fast, and he held her long;
With the beating heart of a bird afeard.
She hid her face in his flame red beard.
"O love!" he cried, "let me look today
In thine eyes ere mine are plucked away;
Let me hold thee close, let me feel thy heart
Ere mine by the Troll is torn apart.
I sinned, a Helva, for love of thee.
Pray that the Lord Christ pardon me!"

But fast as she prayed, and faster still,
Hammered the Troll in Ulshoi Hill.
He knew, as he wrought, that a loving heart
Was somehow baffling his evil art;
For more than spell of elf or Troll

Is a maiden's prayer for her lover's soul.
And Esbern listened, and caught the sound
Of a troll-wife singing underground;
"Tomorrow comes Fine, father thine,
Lie still, and hush thee, baby mine.
Lie still, my darling. Next sunrise.

Thou'lt play with Esbern Snare's heart and eyes!" "Ho! Ho!" quoth Esbern, "is that your game? Thanks to the Troll-wife, I know his name!" The Troll he heard him, and hurried on To Kallunborg church with the lacking stone. "Too late, Gaffer Fine !" cried Esbern Snare; And Troll and pillar vanished in air.

That night the harvesters heard the sound
Of a woman sobbing underground,

And the voice of the Hill-Troll, loud with blame
Of the careless singer who told his name.
Of the Troll of the Church they sing the tune
By the Northern sea in the harvest moon;
And the fishers of Zealand hear him still
Scolding his wife in Ulshoi Hill.

And seaward over its groves of birch
Still looks the tower of Kallunborg church,
Where, first at its altar, a wedded pair,
Stood Helva of Nesvek and Esbern Snare.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER

THE YARN OF THE NANCY Bell

"T

WAS on the shores that round our coast
From Deal to Ramsgate span,

That I found alone on a piece of stone
An elderly naval man.

His hair was weedy, his beard was long,
And weedy and long was he,

And I heard this wight on the shore recite,
In a singular minor key;

"Oh, I am a cook, and the captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig

And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig!"

And he shook his fists and he tore his hair,

Till I really felt afraid,

For I couldn't help thinking the man had been

drinking,

And so I simply said;

"Oh, elderly man, it's little I know

Of the duties of men of the sea,

But I'll eat my hand if I understand
How you can possibly be

"At once a cook, and a captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig."

Then he gave a hitch to his trousers, which
Is a trick all seamen larn,

And having got rid of a thumping quid,
He spun this painful yarn;

'Twas in the good ship Nancy Bell

That we sailed to the Indian sea,

And there on a reef we came to grief,

Which has often occurred to me.

"And pretty nigh all o' the crew was drowned

(There was seventy-seven o'soul),

And only ten of the Nancy's men

Said 'Here' to the muster roll.

"There was me and the cook and the captain bold,

And the mate of the Nancy brig,

And the bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,

And the crew of the captain's gig.