"'I want a golden dagger.'
'A golden dagger! Why?'
'To cut this juicy pear in two.
Of thirst I almost die.'
We gave the golden dagger.
She did not use it well.
Ah, no, it was not pears you cut,
My lady Isabel."
These dancing circles keep in memory the assassination of Marshal Prim.
"As he came from the Cortes,
Men whispered to Prim,
'Be wary, be wary,
For life and for limb.'
Then answered the General,
'Come blessing, come bane,
I live or I die
In the service of Spain.'
"In the Calle del Turco,
Where the starlight was dim,
Nine cowardly bullets
Gave greeting to Prim.
The best of the Spaniards
Lay smitten and slain,
And the new King he died for
Came weeping to Spain."
This new king, Amadeo, is funnily commemorated in another dancing ditty, "Four Sweethearts."
"Maiden, if they ask thee,
Maiden, if they ask thee,
If thou hast a sweetheart —ha, ha!
If thou hast a sweetheart,
Answer without blushing,
Answer without blushing,
'Four sweethearts are mine —ha, ha!
Four sweethearts are mine.
"'The first he is the son of —
The first he is the son of
A confectioner —ha, ha!
A confectioner.
Sugar-plums he gives me,
Sugar-plums he gives me,
Caramels and creams —ha, ha!
Caramels and creams.
"'The second is the son of —
The second is the son of
An apothecary —ha, ha!
An apothecary.
Syrups sweet he gives me,
Syrups sweet he gives me,
For my little cough —hack, hack!
For my little cough.
"'The third he is the son of —
The third he is the son of
The barber to the court —ha, ha!
The barber to the court.
Powders rare he gives me,
Powders rare he gives me,
And a yellow wig —ha, ha!
And a yellow wig.
"'The fourth? Oh, 'tis a secret,
The fourth? Oh, 'tis a secret.
Our new Italian king —ha, ha!
Our new Italian king.
He gives me silk and satin,
He gives me silk and satin,
Velvet, gold, and gems —ha, ha!
Velvet, gold, and gems.'"
Strangest of all is the dramatic little dialogue, which one with an ear for children's voices may hear any day in Madrid, telling of the death of Queen Mercedes.
"'Whither away, young King Alfonso?
(Oh, for pity!) Whither away?'
'I go seeking my queen Mercedes,
For I have not seen her since yesterday.'
"'But we have seen your queen Mercedes,
Seen the queen, though her eyes were hid,
While four dukes all gently bore her
Through the streets of sad Madrid.
"'Oh, how her face was calm as heaven!
Oh, how her hands were ivory white!
Oh, how she wore the satin slippers
That you kissed on the bridal night!
"'Dark are the lamps of the lonely palace.
Black are the suits the nobles don.
In letters of gold on the wall 'tis written:
Her Majesty is dead and gone.'
"He fainted to hear us, young Alfonso,
Drooped like an eagle with broken wing,