{
 "id": "george-macdonald/no-end-of-no-story",
 "title": "No End of No-Story",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "George MacDonald",
 "poet_slug": "george-macdonald",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "The Poetical Works of George MacDonald, Volume II",
 "book_slug": "poetical-works-vol-2",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 84,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1893,
  "venue": "The Poetical Works of George MacDonald, Volume II (1893)",
  "note": "Taken from the 1893 collected Poetical Works, which is the printing this text is and not the poem's first appearance. MacDonald gathered and revised for it work published from 1855 onward, and it arranges the poems by its own editorial grouping rather than by the volumes they came from, so which earlier book or magazine printed this poem first has not been established here.",
  "uncertain": true,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/poeticalworksge00macdgoog",
   "https://archive.org/metadata/poeticalworksge00macdgoog",
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  ]
 },
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   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10578",
   "https://archive.org/details/bookofstrifeinfo00macd",
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  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
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   {
    "text": "There is a river",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "whose waters run asleep",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "run run ever",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "singing in the shallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "dumb in the hollows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "sleeping so deep",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and all the swallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "that dip their feathers",
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   },
   {
    "text": "in the hollows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "or in the shallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "are the merriest swallows",
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   {
    "text": "and the nests they make",
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   },
   {
    "text": "with the clay they cake",
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   {
    "text": "with the water they shake",
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   },
   {
    "text": "from their wings that rake",
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   },
   {
    "text": "the water out of the shallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "or out of the hollows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "will hold together",
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   {
    "text": "in any weather",
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   {
    "text": "and the swallows",
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   {
    "text": "are the merriest fellows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and have the merriest children",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and are built very narrow",
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   {
    "text": "like the head of an arrow",
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   {
    "text": "to cut the air",
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   {
    "text": "and go just where",
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   {
    "text": "the nicest water is flowing",
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   {
    "text": "and the nicest dust is blowing",
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   {
    "text": "and each so narrow",
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   {
    "text": "like the head of an arrow",
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   {
    "text": "is a wonderful barrow",
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   {
    "text": "to carry the mud he makes",
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   {
    "text": "for his children’s sakes",
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   {
    "text": "from the wet water flowing",
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   {
    "text": "and the dry dust blowing",
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   {
    "text": "to build his nest",
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   },
   {
    "text": "for her he loves best",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and the wind cakes it",
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   {
    "text": "the sun bakes it",
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   {
    "text": "into a nest",
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   {
    "text": "for the rest",
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   {
    "text": "of her he loves best",
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   {
    "text": "and all their merry children",
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   {
    "text": "each little fellow",
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   {
    "text": "with a beak as yellow",
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   {
    "text": "as the buttercups growing",
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   {
    "text": "beside the flowing",
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   {
    "text": "of the singing river",
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   {
    "text": "always and ever",
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   {
    "text": "growing and blowing",
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   {
    "text": "as fast as the sheep",
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   {
    "text": "awake or asleep",
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   {
    "text": "crop them and crop",
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   {
    "text": "and cannot stop",
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   {
    "text": "their yellowness blowing",
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   {
    "text": "nor yet the growing",
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   {
    "text": "of the obstinate daisies",
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   {
    "text": "the little white praises",
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   {
    "text": "they grow and they blow",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "they spread out their crown",
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   {
    "text": "and they praise the sun",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and when he goes down",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "their praising is done",
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   {
    "text": "they fold up their crown",
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   {
    "text": "and sleep every one",
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   {
    "text": "till over the plain",
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   {
    "text": "he is shining amain",
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   {
    "text": "and they’re at it again",
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   {
    "text": "praising and praising",
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   {
    "text": "such low songs raising",
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   {
    "text": "that no one can hear them",
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   {
    "text": "but the sun so near them",
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   {
    "text": "and the sheep that bite them",
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   {
    "text": "but do not fright them",
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   {
    "text": "are the quietest sheep",
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   {
    "text": "awake or asleep",
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   {
    "text": "with the merriest bleat",
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   {
    "text": "and the little lambs",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "are the merriest lambs",
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   {
    "text": "forgetting to eat",
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   {
    "text": "for the frolic in their feet",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "and the lambs and their dams",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "are the whitest sheep",
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   {
    "text": "with the woolliest wool",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "for the swallow to pull",
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   {
    "text": "when he makes his nest",
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   {
    "text": "for her he loves best",
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   {
    "text": "and they shine like snow",
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   {
    "text": "in the grasses that grow",
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   {
    "text": "by the singing river",
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   {
    "text": "that sings for ever",
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   {
    "text": "and the sheep and the lambs",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "are merry for ever",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "because the river",
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   {
    "text": "sings and they drink it",
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   {
    "text": "and the lambs and their dams",
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   {
    "text": "would any one think it",
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   {
    "text": "are bright and white",
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   },
   {
    "text": "because of their diet",
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   {
    "text": "which gladdens them quiet",
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   {
    "text": "for what they bite",
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   {
    "text": "is buttercups yellow",
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   {
    "text": "and daisies white",
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   {
    "text": "and grass as green",
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   {
    "text": "as the river can make it",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "with wind as mellow",
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   {
    "text": "to kiss it and shake it",
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   },
   {
    "text": "as never was known",
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   {
    "text": "but here in the hollows",
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   {
    "text": "beside the river",
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   {
    "text": "where all the swallows",
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   {
    "text": "are the merriest fellows",
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   {
    "text": "and the nests they make",
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   {
    "text": "with the clay they cake",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "in the sunshine bake",
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   {
    "text": "till they are like bone",
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   {
    "text": "and as dry in the wind",
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   },
   {
    "text": "as a marble stone",
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   },
   {
    "text": "dried in the wind",
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   {
    "text": "the sweetest wind",
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   {
    "text": "that blows by the river",
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   {
    "text": "flowing for ever",
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   {
    "text": "and who shall find",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "whence comes the wind",
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   {
    "text": "that blows on the hollows",
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   {
    "text": "and over the shallows",
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   {
    "text": "where dip the swallows",
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   {
    "text": "and comes and goes",
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   {
    "text": "and the sweet life blows",
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   {
    "text": "into the river",
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   {
    "text": "that sings as it flows",
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   {
    "text": "and the sweet life blows",
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   {
    "text": "into the sheep",
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   {
    "text": "awake or asleep",
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   {
    "text": "with the woolliest wool",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and the trailingest tails",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and never fails",
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   },
   {
    "text": "gentle and cool",
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   },
   {
    "text": "to wave the wool",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and to toss the grass",
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   },
   {
    "text": "as the lambs and the sheep",
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   {
    "text": "over it pass",
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   {
    "text": "and tug and bite",
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   },
   {
    "text": "with their teeth so white",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and then with the sweep",
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   {
    "text": "of their trailing tails",
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   {
    "text": "smooth it again",
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   {
    "text": "and it grows amain",
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   {
    "text": "and amain it grows",
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   {
    "text": "and the wind that blows",
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   {
    "text": "tosses the swallows",
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   {
    "text": "over the hollows",
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   {
    "text": "and over the shallows",
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   {
    "text": "and blows the sweet life",
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   {
    "text": "and the joy so rife",
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   {
    "text": "into the swallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "that skim the shallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and have the yellowest children",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and the wind that blows",
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   {
    "text": "is the life of the river",
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   },
   {
    "text": "that flows for ever",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and washes the grasses",
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   },
   {
    "text": "still as it passes",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and feeds the daisies",
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   {
    "text": "the little white praises",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and buttercups sunny",
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   {
    "text": "with butter and honey",
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   {
    "text": "that whiten the sheep",
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   {
    "text": "awake or asleep",
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   {
    "text": "that nibble and bite",
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   {
    "text": "and grow whiter than white",
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   {
    "text": "and merry and quiet",
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   },
   {
    "text": "on such good diet",
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   {
    "text": "watered by the river",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and tossed for ever",
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   },
   {
    "text": "by the wind that tosses",
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   },
   {
    "text": "the wool and the grasses",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and the swallow that crosses",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "with all the swallows",
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   {
    "text": "over the shallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "dipping their wings",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "to gather the water",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and bake the cake",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "for the wind to make",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "as hard as a bone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and as dry as a stone",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and who shall find",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "whence comes the wind",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "that blows from behind",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and ripples the river",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "that flows for ever",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "and still as it passes",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "waves the grasses",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and cools the daisies",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "the white sun praises",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "that feed the sheep",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "awake or asleep",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and give them their wool",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "for the swallows to pull",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "a little away",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "to mix with the clay",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "that cakes to a nest",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "for those they love best",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "and all the yellow children",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "soon to go trying",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "their wings at the flying",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "over the hollows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "and over the shallows",
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   {
    "text": "with all the swallows",
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   },
   {
    "text": "that do not know",
    "indent": 0
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   {
    "text": "whence the wind doth blow",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "that comes from behind",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "a blowing wind",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}