The Three Beggars

'Twas autumn daybreak gold and wild,         While past St. Ann's grey tower they shuffled,      Three beggars spied a fairy-child          In crimson mantle muffled.      The daybreak lighted up her face         All pink, and sharp, and emerald-eyed;      She looked on them a little space,          And shrill as hautboy cried: -      "O three tall footsore men of rags         Which walking this gold morn I see,      What will ye give me from your bags          For fairy kisses three?"      The first, that was a reddish man,         Out of his bundle takes a crust:      "La, by the tombstones of St. Ann,          There's fee, if fee ye must!"      The second, that was a chestnut man,         Out of his bundle draws a bone:      "Lo, by the belfry of St. Ann,          And all my breakfast gone!"      The third, that was a yellow man,         Out of his bundle picks a groat,      "La, by the Angel of St. Ann,          And I must go without."      That changeling, lean and icy-lipped,         Touched crust, and bone, and groat, and lo!      Beneath her finger taper-tipped          The magic all ran through.      Instead of crust a peacock pie,         Instead of bone sweet venison,      Instead of groat a white lily          With seven blooms thereon.      And each fair cup was deep with wine:         Such was the changeling's charity,      The sweet feast was enough for nine,          But not too much for three.      O toothsome meat in jelly froze!         O tender haunch of elfin stag!      O rich the odour that arose!          O plump with scraps each bag!      There, in the daybreak gold and wild,         Each merry-hearted beggar man      Drank deep unto the fairy child,          And blessed the good St. Ann.