Last night about the country-side
The nimble fairies flew,
And forests on the latticed pane
In quaint devices drew,
The grasses standing straight and tall,
The ferns with curious frond,
And just a peephole left to show
The misty world beyond.

The voices of the murmuring streams
They silenced one by one,
And bound their feet with gleaming chains
So they no more could run;
They hung the icicles about,
And you would laugh to see
Just how they flung the diamonds down
Upon the whole bare tree;
And every little blade of grass
A thing of beauty stood,
And when they'd finished it was just
Like an enchanted wood.

They paused beside the old barn door;
A spider's web hung there
As fragile as a little dream,
As delicate and fair;
They decked it with a thousand gems
Of oh! such dazzling sheen,
It was the very loveliest thing
That you have ever seen!