And first encount'ring with a Wasp,
He in his arms the fly doth clasp
As though his breath he forth would grasp
Him for Pigwiggen taking:
"Where is ny wife, thou rogue?" quoth he;
"Pigwiggen, she is come to thee;
Restore her, or thou diest by me!"
Whereat the poor Wasp quaking,
Cries, "Oberon, great Fairy King,
Content thee, I am no such thing:
I am a Wasp, behold my sting!"
At which the Fairy started;
When soon away the Wasp doth go,
Poor wretch was never frighted so;
He thought his wings were much too slow,
O'erjoyed they so were parted.
He next upon a Glow-worm light
(You must suppose it now was night),
Which, for her hinder part was bright,
He took to be a devil,
And furiously doth her assail
For carrying fire in her tail;
He thrasht her rough coat with his flail;
The mad King feared no evil.
"Oh!" quoth the Glow-worm, "hold thy hand,
Thou puissant King of Fairy-land!
Thy mighty strokes who may withstand?
Hold, or of life despair I!"
Together then herself doth roll,
And tumbling down into a hole,
She seemed as black as any coal;
Which vext away the Fairy.
From thence he ran into a hive:
Amongst the bees he letteth drive,
And down their combs begins to rive,
All likely to have spoiled,
Which with their wax his face besmeared,
And with their honey daubed his beard:
It would have made a man afeared
To see how he was moiled.
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