No End of no-Story by George MacDonald — Read

There is a river / whose waters run asleep / run run ever / singing in the shallows / dumb in the hollows / sleeping so deep / and all the swallows / that dip their feathers / in the hollows / or in the shallows / are the merriest swallows / and the nests they make / with the clay they cake / with the water they shake / from their wings that rake / the water out of the shallows / or out of the hollows / will hold together / in any weather / and the swallows / are the merriest fellows / and have the merriest children / and are built very narrow / like the head of an arrow / to cut the air and go just where / the nicest water is flowing / and the nicest dust is blowing / and each so narrow / like the head of an arrow / is a wonderful barrow / to carry the mud he makes / for his children's sakes / from the wet water flowing / and the dry dust blowing / to build his nest / for her he loves best / and the wind cakes it / the sun bakes it / into a nest / for the rest / of her he loves best / and all their merry children / each little fellow / with a beak as yellow / as the buttercups growing / beside the flowing / of the singing river / always and ever / growing and blowing / as fast as the sheep / awake or asleep crop them and crop / and cannot stop / their yellowness blowing / nor yet the growing / of the obstinate daisies / the little white praises / they grow and they blow / they spread out their crown / and they praise the sun / and when he goes down / their praising is done / they fold up their crown / and sleep every one / till over the plain / he is shining amain / and they're at it again / praising and praising / such low songs raising / that no one can hear them / but the sun so near them / and the sheep that bite them / but do not fright them / are the quietest sheep / awake or asleep / with the merriest bleat / and the little lambs are the merriest lambs / forgetting to eat / for the frolic in their feet / and the lambs and their dams / are the whitest sheep / with the woolliest wool / for the swallow to pull / when he makes his nest / for her he loves best / and they shine like snow / in the grasses that grow / by the singing river / that sings for ever / and the sheep and the lambs / are merry for ever / because the river / sings and they drink it / and the lambs and their dams / would any one think it / are bright and white / because of their diet / which gladdens them quiet / for what they bite / is buttercups yellow / and daisies white / and grass as green as the river can make it / with wind as mellow / to kiss it and shake it / as never was known / but here in the hollows / beside the river / where all the swallows / are the merriest fellows / and the nests they make / with the clay they cake / in the sunshine bake / till they are like bone / and as dry in the wind / as a marble stone / dried in the wind / the sweetest wind / that blows by the river / flowing for ever / and who shall find / whence comes the wind / that blows on the hollows / and over the shallows / where dip the swallows / and comes and goes / and the sweet life blows / into the river that sings as it flows / and the sweet life blows / into the sheep / awake or asleep / with the woolliest wool / and the trailingest tails / and never fails / gentle and cool / to wave the wool / and to toss the grass / as the lambs and the sheep / over it pass / and tug and bite / with their teeth so white / and then with the sweep / of their trailing tails / smooth it again / and it grows amain / and amain it grows / and the wind that blows / tosses the swallows / over the hollows / and over the shallows / and blows the sweet life / and the joy so rife / into the swallows that skim the shallows / and have the yellowest children / and the wind that blows / is the life of the river / that flows for ever / and washes the grasses / still as it passes / and feeds the daisies / the little white praises / and buttercups sunny / with butter and honey / that whiten the sheep / awake or asleep / that nibble and bite / and grow whiter than white / and merry and quiet / on such good diet / watered by the river / and tossed for ever / by the wind that tosses / the wool and the grasses / and the swallow that crosses / with all the swallows / over the shallows / dipping their wings / to gather the water and bake the cake / for the wind to make / as hard as a bone / and as dry as a stone / and who shall find / whence comes the wind / that blows from behind / and ripples the river / that flows for ever / and still as it passes / waves the grasses / and cools the daisies / the white sun praises / that feed the sheep / awake or asleep / and give them their wool / for the swallows to pull / a little away / to mix with the clay / that cakes to a nest / for those they love best / and all the yellow children / soon to go trying their wings at the flying / over the hollows / and over the shallows / with all the swallows / that do not know / whence the wind doth blow / that comes from behind / a blowing wind.