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I started a series of illustrations for Christina Rosetti's famous narrative poem "Goblin Market"  that tells the story of  sisters Lizzie and Laura, …

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I started a series of illustrations for Christina Rosetti's famous narrative poem "Goblin Market"  that tells the story of  sisters Lizzie and Laura, their encounter with  goblin merchants and what ensues thereafter.   The poem has been much interpreted and mis-interpreted over the years but I have ignored those controversies and illustrated it as it is written; as a fairytale.

The first scene shows Laura, having gone with Lizzie to the borook to collect water, lingering behind listening to the goblin merchants calling in the distance.

The second scene shows the bizarre looking goblins tempting Laura to buy their fruit.

One had a cat’s face,
One whisk’d a tail,
One tramp’d at a rat’s pace,
One crawl’d like a snail,
One like a wombat prowl’d obtuse and furry,
One like a ratel tumbled hurry skurry....

...One heav’d the golden weight
Of dish and fruit to offer her:
“Come buy, come buy,” was still their cry.
Laura stared but did not stir,
Long’d but had no money:
The whisk-tail’d merchant bade her taste
In tones as smooth as honey, « Less