On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: eight maids a-milking!
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!
The word "maid" alludes to an unmarried woman, and milk is the life-sustaining nourishment that mature females provide.
Therefore, this song alludes to eight young girls on the brink of womanhood, like eight flowers springing into full bloom.
My fantasy version:
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: eight hearty hobbits!
Seven dwarves a-mining,
Six flying horses,
Five magic rings,
Four mountain trolls,
Three phoenixes,
Two forest fauns,
And a unicorn as white as the snow!
If you've ever read and/or watched The Hobbit and/or The Lord of the Rings, you'll know hobbits are simple, pleasant country folk, vastly preferring good food, drink, friends, and music to wealth and power.
They may not seem like much, but they're still full of surprises, and everybody has an important lesson or two to learn from them.
