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Poem
September 24, 1846
Staunton Spectator, And General Advertiser
Staunton, Virginia
What is this article about?
A moral fairy tale poem retelling a nursery story of two sisters at a magical well. A disguised fairy beggar curses the proud sister to speak serpents and blesses the kind one with gems from her lips, symbolizing slander versus good nature.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
POETRY:
THE NURSERY TALE.
Oh! did you not hear in your nursery,
The tale that gossips tell,
Of two young girls that came to drink
At a certain fairy well?
The words of the younger were as sweet
As the smile of her ruby lip;
But the tongue of the eldest seemed to move
As if venom were on its tip.
At the well a beggar accosted them,
(A sprite in a mean disguise);
The eldest spoke with a scornful brow,
The youngest with tearful eyes.
Cried the fairy, "Whenever you speak sweet girl!
Pure gems from your lips shall fall;
But whenever you utter a word, proud maid,
From your tongue shall a serpent crawl!"
And have you not met with the sisters oft,
In the haunts of the old and young;
The first with her pure, unsullied lip,
The last with her serpent tongue?
The first is Good Nature-diadems bright
O'er the darkest themes she throws;
And the last is Slander, leaving the slime
Of the snake wherever she goes.
THE NURSERY TALE.
Oh! did you not hear in your nursery,
The tale that gossips tell,
Of two young girls that came to drink
At a certain fairy well?
The words of the younger were as sweet
As the smile of her ruby lip;
But the tongue of the eldest seemed to move
As if venom were on its tip.
At the well a beggar accosted them,
(A sprite in a mean disguise);
The eldest spoke with a scornful brow,
The youngest with tearful eyes.
Cried the fairy, "Whenever you speak sweet girl!
Pure gems from your lips shall fall;
But whenever you utter a word, proud maid,
From your tongue shall a serpent crawl!"
And have you not met with the sisters oft,
In the haunts of the old and young;
The first with her pure, unsullied lip,
The last with her serpent tongue?
The first is Good Nature-diadems bright
O'er the darkest themes she throws;
And the last is Slander, leaving the slime
Of the snake wherever she goes.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Nursery Tale
Fairy Well
Good Nature
Slander
Moral Verse
Sisters Curse
Poem Details
Title
The Nursery Tale.
Subject
Moral Tale On Good Nature And Slander
Key Lines
Cried The Fairy, "Whenever You Speak Sweet Girl!
Pure Gems From Your Lips Shall Fall;
But Whenever You Utter A Word, Proud Maid,
From Your Tongue Shall A Serpent Crawl!"
The First Is Good Nature Diadems Bright
O'er The Darkest Themes She Throws;
And The Last Is Slander, Leaving The Slime
Of The Snake Wherever She Goes.