'Twas autumn daybreak gold and wild
  While past St. Ann's grey tower they shuffled
Three beggars spied a fairy-child
    In crimson mantle muffled.

The daybreak lighted up her face
  All pink, and sharp, and emerald-eyed;
She looked on them a little space,
    And shrill as hautboy cried:--

'Oh three tall footsore men in rags
  Which walking this gold morn I see,
What will ye give me from your bags
    For fairy kisses three?'

The first, that was a reddish man,
  Out of his bundle takes a crust:
'La, by the tombstones of St. Ann
    There's fee, if fee ye must!'

The second, that was a chestnut man,
  Out of his bundle draws a bone:
'La, by the bellfry of St. Ann,
    And all my breakfast gone!'

The third, that was a yellow man,
  Out of his bundle picks a groat,
'La by the Angle of St. Ann,
    And I must go without.'

That changeling, lean and icy-lipped,
  Touched crust, and bone, and groat, and lo!
Beneath her finger taper-tipped
    The magic all ran through.

Instead of a crust a peacock pie,
  Instead of bone sweet venison,
Instead of a groat a white lily
    With seven blooms thereon.

And each fair cup was deep with wine:
  Such was the changeling's charity
The sweet feast was enough for nine,
    But not too much for three.

O toothsome meat in jelly froze!
  O tender haunch of elfin stag!
Oh, rich the odour that arose!
    Oh, plump with scraps each bag!

There, in the daybreak gold and wild,
  Each merry-hearted beggar man
Drank deep unto the fairy child,
    And blessed the good St. Ann.