'No,' said Lizzie: 'No, no, no;
65 Their offers should not charm us,
Their evil gifts would harm us.'
She thrust a dimpled finger
In each ear, shut eyes and ran:
Curious Laura chose to linger
to Wondering at each merchant man.
One had a cat's face,
One whisked a tail,
One tramped at a rat's pace,
One crawled like a snail,
75 One like a wombat prowled obtuse and furry,
One like a ratel2 tumbled hurry skurry.
She heard a voice like voice of doves
Cooing all together:
They sounded kind and full of loves
so In the pleasant weather. Laura stretched her gleaming neck
Like a rush-imbedded swan, Like a lily from the beck,? small brook Like a moonlit poplar branch,
85 Like a vessel at the launch
When its last restraint is gone. Backwards up the mossy glen
Turned and trooped the goblin men,
With their shrill repeated cry,
90 'Come buy, come buy.'
When they reached where Laura was
They stood stock still upon the moss,
Leering at each other,
Brother with queer brother;
95 Signalling each other,
Brother with sly brother.
2. South African mamma! resembling a badger (pronounced ray-tell).
.
1468 / CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
One set his basket down, One reared0 his plate; raised One began to weave a crown
100 Of tendrils, leaves and rough nuts brown
(Men sell not such in any town);
One heaved the golden weight
Of dish and fruit to offer her:
'Come buy, come buy,' was still their cry.
105 Laura stared but did not stir,
Longed but had no money:
The whisk-tailed merchant bade her taste
In tones as smooth as honey,
The cat-faced purr'd,
110 The rat-paced spoke a word Of welcome, and the snail-paced even was heard;
One parrot-voiced and jolly Cried 'Pretty Goblin' still0 for 'Pretty Polly;'? alwaysOne whistled like a bird.
115 But sweet-tooth Laura spoke in haste:
'Good folk, I have no coin;
To take were to purloin:
I have no copper in my purse,
