OVER THE HILL
Child.Traveler, what lies over the hill?Traveler, tell to me.I am only a child from the window sill,Over I can not see.Traveler.Child, there’s a valley over there,Pretty and wooded and shy,And a little brook that says, “Take care,
Child.Traveler, what lies over the hill?Traveler, tell to me.I am only a child from the window sill,Over I can not see.
Traveler.Child, there’s a valley over there,Pretty and wooded and shy,And a little brook that says, “Take care,
Or I’ll drown you by and by.”Child.And what comes next?Traveler.A little townAnd a towering hill again;More hills and valleys up and downAnd a river now and then.Child.And what comes next?Traveler.A lonely moorWithout a beaten way;And gray clouds sailing slow beforeA wind that will not stay.Child.And then?Traveler.Dark rocks and yellow sand,And a moaning sea beside.Child.And then?Traveler.More sea, more sea, more land,And rivers deep and wide.Child.And then?Traveler.Oh, rock and mountain and vale,Rivers and fields and men,And over and over repeat the tale,And round to your home again.
Or I’ll drown you by and by.”
Child.And what comes next?
Traveler.A little townAnd a towering hill again;More hills and valleys up and downAnd a river now and then.
Child.And what comes next?
Traveler.A lonely moorWithout a beaten way;And gray clouds sailing slow beforeA wind that will not stay.
Child.And then?
Traveler.Dark rocks and yellow sand,And a moaning sea beside.
Child.And then?
Traveler.More sea, more sea, more land,And rivers deep and wide.
Child.And then?
Traveler.Oh, rock and mountain and vale,Rivers and fields and men,And over and over repeat the tale,And round to your home again.
—George MacDonald.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTESSilently corrected typographical errors.Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES