The Shepherd

While we  wos in the fiwlds one nigh’

Awl seated on the grahnd,

This bloke come dahn from aht the sky

An` spread `is wings arahnd.

‘Nah, don`t be frigh`,’ `e said.  We said,

‘You scared us `arf ta deff!’

`E said, ‘I`ve gotta bitta noos

`F ya let me draw me breff.

There`s this kid wot`s bin bawn, ya see.’

We said. ‘That`s nuffin odd.’

‘E said, ‘This one is.’  We said, ‘ `Ow?’

‘E said, ‘It`s. . . .  sort of. . . . God.’

We laughed an` we said, ‘Get away!

We`re stayin` where we are.’

`E pointed upwoods in the sky,

An` said, ‘Ya see that star?

Nah follow it as far as tahn,

Ta that pub by the square.

That stable by the public bar –

You`ll find the kid in there.’

‘Ah, flap yer wings an` fly away,’

We said.  `E said, ‘There`s mawer:

You`ll find `im bandaged up in clorth,

An` lyin` in the straw.’

Then – may I never move – we saw

A very funny thing:

Awl these uvver blokes arrived,

An` they awl began ta sing.

Right funny stuff, it was, an` all –

`Bout God . . . . an` peace on earth.

They chorused an` they  `armonised

For awl that they was worth.

Then – jus` like that – they awl was gorn.

It didn`t arf sahnd stiwl.

So, sheepish-like – ta coin a phrase –

We trooped orf dahn the `ill.

Well, we couldn`t sit there after that.

I mean ta say, could you?

We went ta look for this `ere kid.

There was nuffin` else ta do.

We fahnd the stable sure enough,

Wiv the star righ` over`ead.

This kid wos lyin` in the straw

Jus` like the angel said.

`E didn`t look like God ta me.

Then `oo am I to know?

But I`ll tewl ya this – it made a change

From sittin` in the snow.