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<h2> THE FLY-AWAY HORSE </h2>
<p>Oh, a wonderful horse is the Fly-Away Horse—<br/>
Perhaps you have seen him before;<br/>
Perhaps, while you slept, his shadow has swept<br/>
Through the moonlight that floats on the floor.<br/>
For it's only at night, when the stars twinkle bright,<br/>
That the Fly-Away Horse, with a neigh<br/>
And a pull at his rein and a toss of his mane,<br/>
Is up on his heels and away!<br/>
The Moon in the sky,<br/>
As he gallopeth by,<br/>
Cries: "Oh! what a marvelous sight!"<br/>
And the Stars in dismay<br/>
Hide their faces away<br/>
In the lap of old Grandmother Night.<br/>
It is yonder, out yonder, the Fly-Away Horse<br/>
Speedeth ever and ever away—<br/>
Over meadows and lanes, over mountains and plains,<br/>
Over streamlets that sing at their play;<br/>
And over the sea like a ghost sweepeth he,<br/>
While the ships they go sailing below,<br/>
And he speedeth so fast that the men at the mast<br/>
Adjudge him some portent of woe.<br/>
"What ho there!" they cry,<br/>
As he flourishes by<br/>
With a whisk of his beautiful tail;<br/>
And the fish in the sea<br/>
Are as scared as can be,<br/>
From the nautilus up to the whale!<br/>
And the Fly-Away Horse seeks those faraway lands<br/>
You little folk dream of at night—<br/>
Where candy-trees grow, and honey-brooks flow,<br/>
And corn-fields with popcorn are white;<br/>
And the beasts in the wood are ever so good<br/>
To children who visit them there—<br/>
What glory astride of a lion to ride,<br/>
Or to wrestle around with a bear!<br/>
The monkeys, they say:<br/>
"Come on, let us play,"<br/>
And they frisk in the cocoanut-trees:<br/>
While the parrots, that cling<br/>
To the peanut-vines, sing<br/>
Or converse with comparative ease!<br/>
Off! scamper to bed—you shall ride him tonight!<br/>
For, as soon as you've fallen asleep,<br/>
With a jubilant neigh he shall bear you away<br/>
Over forest and hillside and deep!<br/>
But tell us, my dear, all you see and you hear<br/>
In those beautiful lands over there,<br/>
Where the Fly-Away Horse wings his faraway course<br/>
With the wee one consigned to his care.<br/>
Then grandma will cry<br/>
In amazement: "Oh, my!"<br/>
And she'll think it could never be so;<br/>
And only we two<br/>
Shall know it is true—<br/>
You and I, little precious! shall know!<br/></p>
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