86
THE BOOK OF HALLOWE'EN
warded this hospitality by doing an extra-ordinary amount of work.
"— how the drudging goblin sweat
To earn his cream-bowl duly set,
When in one night, ere glimpse of mom,
His shadowy flail hath threshed the com
That ten day -laborers could not end.
Then lies him down the lubbar fiend,
And stretcht out all the chimney's length
Milton: L' Allegro.
Such sprites did not scruple to pull away the chair as one was about to sit down, to pinch, or even to steal children and leave changelings in their places. The first hint of dawn drove them back to their haunts.
"When larks 'gin sing,
Away we fling;
And babes new borne steal as we go.
And elfe in bed
We leave instead,
Jonson : Robin Goodfellow.
