p. 19

The King he has caught the fair mermaid, and deep  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) In the dungeon has placed her, to pine and to weep, Because his will she had not done.

The Queen of the Danes addressed two of her band:  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) “To come to my presence the mermaid command, For my will by her it shall be done.”

p. 20The mermaid came in, to the Queen she up went:  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) “What wilt thou, O Queen, that for me thou hast sent? By me thy will can never be done.”

p. 20

The Queen the blue cushion stroked down with a smile:  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) “Sit down pretty mermaid and rest thee awhile, My will by thee must now be done.”

“Why seek’st thou, O Queen, to betray my young life?  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) For under that cushion is stuck a sharp knife, By me thy will can never be done.”

“If thou knowest that, then much more thou dost know,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) So do thou my destiny unto me show, And thus by thee shall my will be done.”

p. 21“If I should thy destiny to thee announce,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) On a fire of faggots thoud’st burn me at once! By me unwilling your will is done.

p. 21

“Three babes thou shalt bear, each a beautiful boy,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) And in leaving thy womb they thy life shall destroy, And thus fair Queen thy will is done.”

“If with me, luckless me, it no better shall speed,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) Inform me what fortune for them is decreed, For thus by thee can my will be done.”

“The first shall be King in old Denmark of them,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) The next shall succeed to the gold diadem, By me can thus thy will be done.

p. 22“The third as the wisest of mortals shall shine,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) And for him thou art doomed thy young life to resign, Thus all your will, fair Queen, I’ve done.”

p. 22

In her mantle of azure the Queen wrapt her head,  (The mermaid dances the floor upon) And unto the hall to the Monarch she sped, For she her will had fairly done.

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