Gather me some cherries, they run so in my mind."
Then bespoke Joseph with wordes so unkind,
"I will not gather cherries." Then said Mary, "You shall see,
By what will happen, these cherries were for me."
Then bespoke Jesus all in his mother's womb,
"Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down,
And the highest branch shall bow to Mary's knee,
And she shall gather cherries by one, two, and three."
As Joseph was a walking he heard an angel sing,
"This night shall be born our Heavenly King;
He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall,
But in fine linen, as were babies all.
"He never did require white wine and bread,[1]
But cold spring-water with which we were christened;
He shall neither be rocked in silver and gold,
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mould."
Then Mary took her young Son and sat him on her knee,
"Come tell me dear child, how this world shall be."
"This world shall be like the stones in the street.
For the sun and the moon shall bow down at my feet."
THE HOLY WELL.
As it fell out one May morning.
And on a bright holiday.
Sweet Jesus asked of his dear mother,
If he might go and play.
"To play, to play sweet Jesus shall go,
And to play now get you gone;
And let me hear of no complaint
At night when you come home."
- ↑ I suppose this line ought to be written, 'He never shall require white wine and red.'
