Tove-lille

The dancers are tripping on castle green,
With hair all flowing there trips the Queen.
And Waldmar to both has plighted troth.

A group of young maids Queen Helwig leads,
And next in the dance to her Tov treads.

Queen Helwig she turns and looks behind,
And griev'd is she Tov there to find.

"But listen, ray Tov, maid so neat,
"'Tis silk thou art tossing before thy feet!"

"And silk I have every right to wear,
"Who hope to be queen within the year."

"While I am alive the crown is mine,
"And thou but a mistress, a concubine."

King Waldmar behind a sheltering screen
Is chatting with Tov about the queen.

"Now would to heaven that she were dead!
"And then with the crown I'd grace thy head.

"Were once Queen Helwig upon her bier,
"The glittering bliant thou shouldst wear."

"O hush! my king, hush! and speak not so;
"There may be listeners: who can know?"

"And let them listen who listen will;
"If matters were so they were not ill.

"For fairer wouldst thou be turn'd to clay,
"Than she in her gold and best array."

They thought they were chatting there all alone,
But Helwig had heard their every tone.

So gave he to Tove a juwell'd band,
A richer one graced not Helwig's hand.

He gave her a casket of rare device,
With that did he pay her honour's price.

Queen Helwig she hade her pages twain;
"Go summon me Tov hack again."

In came fair Tov before the hoard;
"What will you, my queen? you sent me word."

"Fair Tovelille, say, what could it he
"Was passing between the king and thee?"

"There nothing was said by us, not a word,
"Tou might not as freely yourself have heard.

"A knight very lately ask'd my hand,
"I did but the king's advice demand/'

"Such lying and craft will not avail;
"Too well do I know how false thy tale.

"If thou art to be this country's queen,
"Thy hair should first in the snood have been."

King Waldmar to war must march away.
Queen Helwig to guard the kingdom stay.

"Queen Helwig, as I from home must go,
"Guard thou my kingdom from every foe.

"But chiefly I charge thee, hap what will,
"To care for the lovely Tovelille."

"I'll watch her and guard her, have no fear,
"As safely as wert thou ruling here."

The queen got heated a bathing room,
And cruel and hard was Tove's doom.

She made her enter, she barr'd the door,
And urged the furnaces more and more.

Fair Tovelille felt the stifling heat;
Her shrieks in the bathroom reach'd the street.

Queen Helwig was standing in castle-yard,
And heard her dying a death so hard.

Ere came King Waldmar again ashore,
Was Tovelille, gentle maid, no more.

But never again, when she was dead,
Put Waldmar the crown on Helwig's head:

Nor even again was Waldmar seen
To smile on his guilty cruel queen.