Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PIPER ON THE HILLS; A CHILD'S SONG, by DORA SIGERSON SHORTER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PIPER ON THE HILLS; A CHILD'S SONG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: There sits a piper on the hill
Last Line: May blow her home again.
Alternate Author Name(s): Sigerson, Dora; Shorter, Mrs. Clement
Variant Title(s): The Piper On The Hill
Subject(s): Pipers; Wind


THERE sits a piper on the hill
Who pipes the livelong day,
And when he pipes both loud and shrill,
The frightened people say:
'The wind, the wind is blowing up,
'Tis rising to a gale.'
The women hurry to the shore
To watch some distant sail.
The wind, the wind, the wind, the wind,
Is blowing to a gale.

But when he pipes all sweet and low,
The piper on the hill,
I hear the merry women go
With laughter, loud and shrill:
'The wind, the wind is coming south,
'Twill blow a gentle day.'
They gather on the meadow-land,
To toss the yellow hay.
The wind, the wind, the wind, the wind,
Is blowing south to-day.

And in the morn, when winter comes,
To keep the piper warm,
The little Angels shake their wings
To make a feather storm:
'The snow, the snow has come at last!'
The happy children call,
And 'ring around' they dance in glee,
And watch the snowflakes fall.
The wind, the wind, the wind, the wind,
Has spread a snowy pall.

But when at night the piper plays,
I have not any fear,
Because God's windows open wide
The pretty tune to hear;
And when each crowding spirit looks,
From its star window-pane,
A watching mother may behold
Her little child again.
The wind, the wind, the wind, the wind,
May blow her home again.





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