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Fire to seek among the ashes

Seeking for a spark in firebox,

Blowing then the fire discreetly,

That from carelessness it spread not.

“If no fire is in the ashes,

And no spark is in the firebox,

Coax thou then thy dearest husband,

And cajole thy handsome husband:

‘Light me now the fire, my dearest,

Just a spark, my darling berry!’

“If you have a flint, a small one,

And a little piece of tinder,

Strike a light as quick as may be,

Light the pine-chip in the holder,

Then go out to clear the cowshed,

And the cattle do thou fodder,

For the mother’s cow is lowing,

And the father’s horse is neighing,

And her chain the son’s cow rattles,

And the daughter’s calf is lowing,

That the soft hay should be thrown them,

And the clover laid before them.

“Go thou stooping on the pathway,

Bend thou down among the cattle,

Gently give the cows their fodder,

Give the sheep their food in quiet,

Spread it straight before the cattle,

Drink unto the calves so helpless,

To the foals give straw well-chosen,

To the lambkins hay the softest,

See that on the swine thou tread’st not,

Nor the hogs with foot thou spurnest,

Take thou to the swine the food-trough,

Set before the hogs the food-tray.

“Do not rest thee in the cowshed,

Do not loiter with the sheep-flock;

When thou’st visited the cowshed,

And hast looked to all the cattle,

Do thou quickly hasten homeward,

Home returning like a blizzard,