Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/168

160 How naive! "Who bid thee come with company! Could'st thou not have come in private?" Now thou mayest go and seek her, traverse the whole country. Run over all Vierland, speed through all Harrien (two circles of Esthonia). In Harrien her nuptial presents are already distributed: she has already another bridegroom. And how was she dressed? As gaily as the people of the city; with white beads her headdress was adorned. In city-manners did she appear, perfumed with liquid odours. Every thing is combined that could render his ardent passion still more ardent. He runs about the fields, and then searches every corner of the house, till at last he finds his jewel. He that does not perceive nature here, perceives her no where. It is the language of insulting jocularity, the sportive taunts of such as find pleasure in teasing a lover. The treasure, however, is only kept from him for a time, to make it of more value to him afterwards.

Is the bride fitted out by her parents? then they give her something towards house-keeping, linen, wearing-apparel, and a cow or a sheep, &c. But if she be an orphan, this cannot be expected. How trifling and scanty must the presents appear in comparison of those usually given about among the guests on such occasions! The following ballad is sung by an orphan at the time of distributing the presents:

I am alone, like the sparrow-hawk; And yet the sparrow-hawk has five besides herself. I am alone, like the duck; And yet the duck always goes in pairs. I am alone, like the crane; And yet the crane has six besides herself. I am alone, like the pelican; Yet she has two children. I am quite alone, Have no father, No mother. To whom shall I lament my woes? To whom shall I unbosom my distress? On whom shall I lean, when people scold me? Shall I complain to the crow-toe flowers? The flowers will fade: Shall I complain to the flowers of parsley? They will decay: