The Friendly Beasts - Traditional

Jesus our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

'I,' said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
'I carried His mother uphill and down;
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.'
'I,' said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

'I,' said the cow, all white and red,
'I gave Him my manger for His bed;
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.'
'I,' said the cow, all white and red.

'I,' said the sheep with curly horn,
'I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.'
'I,' said the sheep with curly horn.

'I,' said the dove from the rafters high,
'Cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I;
We cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry.'
'We,' said the dove from the rafters high.

'I,' said the camel, all yellow and black,
'Over the desert, upon my back,
I brought Him a gift in the Wise Men's pack.'
'I,' said the camel, all yellow and black.

Thus every beast by some good spell,
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
The gift he gave Emmanuel.

The Friendly Beasts lyrics originate from an old French carol used in the Feast of the Ass. Each animal�the donkey the cow the sheep and the dove�describes its contribution to the Nativity scene from carrying Mary to providing a bed of hay. It is a favorite for childrens services for its simple repetitive structure and its emphasis on the value of even the smallest gift. By singing these lyrics the congregation celebrates the involvement of all creation in welcoming the Savior fostering a spirit of humility gratitude and care for all living things.