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The Annotated Edition

TO ROBIN GOODFELLOW by Eugene Field

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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A Scottish-dialect speaker catches the fairy trickster Robin Goodfellow, referred to here as "Bawsy-brown," sneaking in for some cream.

Poet
Eugene Field
Themes
dreams, home, love
The PoemFull text

TO ROBIN GOODFELLOW

Eugene Field

I see you, Maister Bawsy-brown, Through yonder lattice creepin'; You come for cream and to gar me dream, But you dinna find me sleepin'. The moonbeam, that upon the floor Wi' crickets ben a-jinkin', Now steals away fra' her bonnie play-- Wi' a rosier blie, I'm thinkin'. I saw you, Maister Bawsy-brown, When the blue bells went a-ringin' For the merrie fays o' the banks an' braes, And I kenned your bonnie singin'; The gowans gave you honey sweets, And the posies on the heather Dript draughts o' dew for the faery crew That danct and sang together. But posie-bloom an' simmer-dew And ither sweets o' faery C'u'd na gae down wi' Bawsy-brown, Sae nigh to Maggie's dairy! My pantry shelves, sae clean and white, Are set wi' cream and cheeses,-- Gae, gin you will, an' take your fill Of whatsoever pleases. Then wave your wand aboon my een Until they close awearie, And the night be past sae sweet and fast Wi' dreamings o' my dearie. But pinch the wench in yonder room, For she's na gude nor bonnie,-- Her shelves be dust and her pans be rust, And she winkit at my Johnnie!

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A Scottish-dialect speaker catches the fairy trickster Robin Goodfellow, referred to here as "Bawsy-brown," sneaking in for some cream. Instead of driving him off, she makes a deal: he can enjoy the dairy, but in return, she wants sweet dreams of her beloved. As a little extra, she asks him to give a pinch to the lazy, flirtatious neighbor girl who's been flirting with her Johnnie. It's a lighthearted, cozy poem that turns fairy folklore into charming neighborhood gossip.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. I see you, Maister Bawsy-brown, / Through yonder lattice creepin';

    Editor's note

    The speaker spots Robin Goodfellow—a mischievous household fairy famous for curdling milk and stealing cream—sneaking through the window. She playfully calls him "Maister" (Master), mixing respect with a hint of teasing. Unlike the easy target he anticipated, she's wide awake. A moonbeam dances with crickets on the floor, taking on a warmer, rosier hue as if the fairy's presence fills the room with warmth.

  2. I saw you, Maister Bawsy-brown, / When the blue bells went a-ringin'

    Editor's note

    She shifts to past tense, remembering a time when she saw him in the open countryside with the fairy folk — dancing on the banks and hillsides, surrounded by wildflowers and dew. This stanza shows that she knows exactly who and what he is; she's not a frightened innocent. The detail of bluebells ringing hints at a fairy gathering, a familiar theme in British and Scottish folklore.

  3. But posie-bloom an' simmer-dew / And ither sweets o' faery

    Editor's note

    Here comes the negotiation. All those delicate fairy foods — flower nectar, summer dew — just won’t cut it when Bawsy-brown is so close to real dairy. The speaker recognizes her own weakness with a sly smile and swings open her pantry: spotless shelves filled with cream and cheeses. Help yourself. She's not resisting him; she's pulling him in.

  4. Then wave your wand aboon my een / Until they close awearie,

    Editor's note

    Payment is named: in return for the dairy goods, she wants the fairy to cast a sleep spell and fill her dreams with her beloved ("my dearie"). Then comes the comic twist — she asks him to pinch the woman in the next room, who has dusty shelves, rusty pans, and, worst of all, winked at her Johnnie. The poem concludes with a laugh, transforming fairy magic into a means of romantic rivalry.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Warm, sly, and conspiratorial, the speaker exudes confidence and humor—she's not afraid of the fairy; she’s negotiating with him. The Scottish dialect adds a cozy, fireside atmosphere, and the petty revenge request in the final stanza hits like a punchline. Field maintains a light tone throughout; this is folklore meant for enjoyment, not fear.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Cream and dairy goods
In British and Scottish folklore, leaving out cream was a way to keep household fairies happy. In this case, the dairy acts as the speaker's bargaining chip — a trade of domestic work for a bit of magical goodwill.
The moonbeam and crickets
They capture that in-between hour when fairies come out to play. The moonbeam’s rosy blush suggests that even nature is a bit flustered by the fairies' presence.
Bluebells ringing
A classic sign from folklore that fairies are coming together. The speaker, who has heard them before, indicates that she has coexisted with the fairy world for a long time and feels at ease with its rhythms.
The wand waved over her eyes
Sleep and dreaming, brought about by a fairy wand, represent longing — the speaker can't be with her Johnnie in real life, so she wishes for him in her dreams instead.
The pinched neighbor
Fairy pinching was a traditional punishment in folklore for housekeepers who were lazy or dishonest. The speaker uses this tradition for humorous revenge, revealing her jealousy and possessiveness regarding Johnnie.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Eugene Field was an American journalist and poet based in Chicago during the late nineteenth century, widely recognized today as the "poet of childhood" for his beloved poem "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." He had a strong appreciation for British and Scottish folk traditions, and many of his poems intentionally mimic the dialect and fairy tales of the Scottish Borders. In "To Robin Goodfellow," he taps into centuries of English and Scottish fairy lore: Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck, is a shape-shifting household spirit who rewards tidy and generous housekeepers while playfully tormenting the messy ones. The term "Bawsy-brown" comes from northern English and Scottish dialects, referring to a clumsy, rough creature, which adds a humorous twist to this well-known character. Field crafted the poem for a broad audience — newspaper readers and parents sharing stories with their children — so the tone is intentionally light-hearted rather than academic.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

Robin Goodfellow is a mischievous fairy from English and Scottish folklore, famously portrayed as Puck in Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. He would sneak into homes, swipe cream, and create chaos — though he also lent a hand to households he favored. The dialect nickname "Bawsy-brown" suggests a clumsy, rough-coated creature, which Field uses to give the fairy a warm, slightly humorous vibe rather than a majestic or scary one.

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