How Beautiful the World Is How beautiful the world is, How blue the sky above, How

green the grass in the morning dew, How musical the dove. Eyes to see the colours bright, Ears for music of delight, Nose to smell the fragrant rose, Skin to feel the breeze that blows. How beautiful the world is, How blue the sky above, God is there in all creation Flowing forth in light and love.
Paul King

The song of the stars resounds in the heavens, The song of the sun awakens the day, The song of my heart is the sun in my soul, And Ill listen, and listen, to what it can say.
Paul King

A head I have for thinking deeply, Listening, and learning, and looking with care. Hands I have for work and creating With fingers skillful to make and repair. In my heart I can carry the sun Shining with love for everyone.
Paul King

The Hunters Aim The hunter walks out in the bush alone, His wife and children are hungry at home. With arrow and bow he must try his luck, And at last he spies a still grazing buck. O hunter, aim your arrow with care! Keep your eye on the target there! Pay no heed to the birds as they pass, Pay no heed to the wind in the grass, Pay no heed to the buzz of the flies, Nor to the jackals far-off cries. Concentrate on the arrow and aim.... Thats how the good hunter comes home with the game.
Paul King

The Robins Song

God bless the field and bless the furrow, Stream and branch and rabbit burrow, Hill and stone and flower and tree, From Bristol town to Wetherby Bless the sun and bless the sleet, Bless the land and bless the street, Bless the night and bless the day, From Somerset and all the way To the meadows of Cathay; Bless the minnow, bless the whale, Bless the rainbow and the hail, Bless the nest and bless the leaf, Bless the righteous and the thief, Bless the wing and bless the fin, Bless the air I travel in, Bless the mill and bless the mouse, Bless the millers bricken house, Bless the earth and bless the sea, God bless you and God bless me!

The little bird sighed, Oh me, oh my! How they will laugh if I try to fly. If I flutter and flop, or tumble and fall, Will the creatures all laugh at me, clumsy and small? But the sun shone down with a kindly face Just try and soon you will fly with grace. The bird practised hard never minding to fall, And now the great eagle flies highest of all.
Paul King

Acorn and Oak Oh Ill never be big, the acorn said As it gazed on high to the oak tree tall, Im little and round as a millers thumb, Ill never be big, Ill always be small. The oak tree smiled a knowing smile, My trunk is thick, and my roots are deep, My branches and twigs spread high and wide, For birds to nest in, and bugs to sleep. But I was an acorn too on a time, - Oh Ill never be big, Ill never

be strong,Thats what I thought many years ago... And, dear little acorn, you see I was wrong!
Paul King

Old

Ten Tired Tortoises

One tired tortoise Plodding in the Karoo, He bumped into another one And that made two. Two tired tortoises Resting by a tree, Along came another one And that made three. Three tired tortoises With feet feeling sore Along came another one And that made four. Four tired tortoises Just trying to survive,

Six tired tortoises Wished they were in Devon, Along came another one And that made seven. Seven tired tortoises Getting quite irate, Along came another one And that made eight. Eight tired tortoises Starting to decline, Along came another one And that made nine. Nine tired tortoises Prayed and said Amen, Along came another one And that made ten. Ten tired tortoises drinking at a well, Then each one yawned and said Goodnight And slipped into his shell.
Paul King

Along came another one And that made five. Five tired tortoises In a thirsty fix, Along came another one And that made six.

TWELVE TINY TADPOLES (adding 2)

2 tiny tadpoles swimming near the shore, up swam another two and that made 4. 4 tiny tadpoles playing naughty tricks, up swam another two and that made 6. 6 tiny tadpoles in a giddy state, up swam another two and that made 8. 8 tiny tadpoles found a little den, up swam another two and that made 10. 10 tiny tadpoles in the mud did delve, up swam another two and that made 12. 12 tiny tadpoles wriggling just for fun, One called out, Theres the stork!, . . . And then there were none. [because they'd all hidden, not because they were all eaten!]
Paul King

English Rhyme

Jabal Tames the Stallion

The stallion runs wild and tramples the plain With mad staring eyes, and wild tossing mane, No-one could tame him with rope or with thong, Till Jabal came by, determined and strong. With a wish and a whoop brave Jabal leapt high And onto the horse with a jubilant cry. The stallion kicked and bucked all around And Jabal soon tumbled and crashed to the ground. But Jabals undaunted and soon has a plan To catch the wild galloping horse if he can. He drops from a branch to the white back below And clings for dear life as hes tossed to and fro. The stallion whinnies and snorts out with rage, He bucks and he tosses and runs the rampage, He shakes his wild mane and his hooves beat the air, But Jabal holds tight and will never forbear. At last the horse plunges and rolls with a will, But Jabal can wrestle and holds the beast still. At last he is calm, and tamed in the end, To plough and to carry and be a true friend.
Paul King

FARMING

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I WILL GO WITH MY FATHER A-PLOUGHING

I will go with my father a-ploughing To the green field by the sea, And the rooks and the crows and the seagulls I will go with my father a-sowing To the red field by the sea, And the rooks and the gulls and the starlings

I will go with my father a-re To the brown field by the se

Will come flocking after me. I will sing to the patient horses With the lark in the white of the air, And my father will sing the plough song That blesses the cleaving share.

Will come flocking after me. I will sing to the striding sowers With the finch on the flowering sloe, And my father will sing the seed song That only the wise men know.

And the geese and the crow Will come flocking after me I will sing to the weary reap With the wren in the heat o And my father will sing the s That joys for the harvest do
Seosamh Maccathmhaoil

Farmer, Miller and Baker

The farmer ploughs and furrows the field, And sows the seed for the harvests yield. Earth, sun, wind and rain, Swell the seed and ripen the grain. The reapers reap and gather the wheat, The miller grinds it to flour sweet, The baker bakes it to golden bread By which our body is nourished and fed. Farmer, miller and baker true, Bring forth the bread for me and you. In every loaf their labour lies Blessed by earth and sun-filled skies.
Paul King

JOHNNYS FARM Johnny had a little dove, coo, coo, coo. Johnny had a little mill, clack, clack, clack. Johnny had a little cow, moo, moo, moo. Johnny had a little duck, quack, quack, quack. Coo, coo; clack, clack; moo, moo; quack, quack; Down on Johnnys little farm. Johnny had a little hen, cluck, cluck, cluck. Johnny had a little crow, caw, caw, caw.

Johnny had a little pig, chook, chook, chook. Johnny had a little donkey, haw, haw, haw. Coo, coo; clack, clack; moo, moo; quack, quack; Cluck, cluck; caw, caw; chook, chook; haw, haw; Down on Johnnys little farm. Johnny had a little dog, bow, wow, wow. Johnny had a little lamb, baa, baa, baa. Johnny had a little son, now, now, now! Johnny had a little wife, ha! ha!! ha!!! Coo, coo; clack, clack; moo, moo; quack, quack; Cluck, cluck; caw, caw; chook, chook; haw, haw; Bow-wow; baa, baa; now, now; ha! ha!! Down on Johnnys little farm.

Traditional

The Wind
The wind is a fellow to sport and to play, Hell billow and bellow and bluster all day, Hes up from the hillside and over the lea, Hes airy, contrary, and quick as can be. No-one can catch me! he boasts with a shout, But in the millsails his mistake hell find out! Just harness him there and hell give you his power To grind all your harvested wheatgrain to flour.
Paul King

Lovely Things Bread is a lovely thing to eat God bless the barley and the wheat! A lovely thing to breathe is air God bless the sunshine everywhere! The earths a lovely place to know God bless the folks that come and go! Alives a lovely thing to be Giver of life - we say - bless Thee!