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FROM
LITHUANIA
OF THE
FRAGRANT
AMBER COAST

THE AMBER WIZARD

See! O see! the Amber Wizard,
Lithuania's Amber Wizard,
How he shakes his head all golden,
Puffs his cheeks as red as apples,
Steps into the foaming wavelets,
Dives into the Baltic billows;
Downward, downward to the forests,
Ancient pine trees 'neath the waters,
Pine trees shedding balsam amber,
Fragrant amber, light as feathers!

And the Amber Wizard loosens
Lumps of amber, beads of amber,
Casts them upwards through the waters,
Casts them on the sandy seashore;
For the little ones to gather,
As they run beside the wavelets.
Then they rub the balsam amber,
Yellow amber, nut-brown amber,
Amber like the drops of honey,
Crying, "See it glow with shining!"
Crying, "Feel it tingle gently!"
Crying, "Smell it, weird and spicy!"
And the Amber Wizard watches,
Shakes his head all bright and golden,
Puffs his checks as red as apples,
Smiles, and tosses high the amber!

 


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