Th'Inkeeper's Story

Breakfast? Nay lass, Ah'm not 'ungry.
Ah nivver thowt abaht owt ter eat.
An Ah'm as breet as a button this morning,
When Ah thowt Ah'd bi deed on mi feet.

Last neet! Ther'll nivver be owt like it
If Ah live ter bi 'undred an ten.
Ah've bin changed owerneet somehow, Mary,
An Ah'm capped how it 'appened an when.

Yer'll recall that young couple through Nazareth?
We'd noweer ter put em in t'inn.
Well Ah fun 'em a place dahn in t'cowshed
But t'weather wer awfully thin.

So when Ah'd gor all't visitors settled,
An you wer asleep in yer bed,
Ah loisened owd Jess through 'er kennel
An wended mi way dahn ter t'shed.

It wer clearer than dayleet in t'farmyard
Almost midneet it wer - t'moon at full.
Not a glimmer from t'houses in't village,
An snow covered t'ground soft as wool.

They'd ed nowt ter eat, ter mi knowledge,
So ah took 'em a bite an a sup,
An some oil in case t'lamp wanted trimmin,
An swaddlin ter lap t'bairn up.

Then Ah fended ter t'cows an ter Jenny,
...Ah've nivver know t'cattle ser calm...
The Ah browt some clean straw dahn fer t'manger,
Just ter mek sure t'bairn wer warm.

Ah don't think they noticed mi scare like,
As Ah roamed abaht sidin't place through,
They were ta'en up wi looking at t'bairn
An 'is mother 'as same name as you!

Such a bonny wee bairn he is, Mary,
Poor thing almost lost among't straw.
But Ah couldn't disturb 'em much longer,
So Ah left 'em an stood aht in t'snow.

A still neet it wer, strange an quiet,
As Ah leaned up agen doar jamb.
Then Ah fancied Ah heard t'sound o' music
As though t'star wer singin a psalm.

At fust, well, Ah thowt Ah wer dreamin!
But they heard it on t'illtop an all.
An Ah seed 'em come running daht t'illside
An mekkin ther way dahn ter t'stall.

It wer Reuben an Shep an young Jimmy,
They'd bin up at t'top, tendin t'sheep.
Ther wer telled ter com dahn inter t'village
Weer ther'd find t'little bairn asleep.

Nah't strangest of all wer owd Rueben,
Leavin t'lambs nobbut yesterday born,
But all e would day when Ah asked 'im
Wer "T'Lord'll tak care on i's own."

Well, sommat wer drawin mi, Mary.
So Ah went in wi Reub an 'is men.
Wi stood a bit just lookin at t'bairn,
But Ah 'ardly know what 'appened then!

Wi went dahn on ahr knees, ther in t'stable,
While t'mother took t'bairn on 'er knees,
An she crooned a soft lullaby ower it,
While we knelt Reuben, Shep, Jim an me.

Nah, God's bairns, all on 'ems lovely,
Why ahr own wer a bonny wee thing,
An wi play wi 'em, nurse 'em an love 'em,
Yet we knelt ther like wi would to a king.

So that's why Ah'm noan varry 'ungry,
Ah's like ter walk t'ills all day long,
But we've t'visitors' meals ter see ter,
Varry soon we'll both on us bi throng!

But fust, walk wi mi ter t'cowshed,
Cos Ah've a feelin at someday, when we're owd,
We'll bi glad we looked after that bairn ther,
An fun it a place out o't cowd.