The Friendly Beasts

1 Jesus, our brother, strong and good,
was humbly born in a stable rude,
and the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our brother, strong and good.

2 “I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother uphill and down,
I carried His mother to Bethlehem town;
I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

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

4 “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.

5 “I,” said the dove, from the rafters high,
“I cooed Him to sleep that he should not cry,
we cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I;
I,” said the dove, from the rafters high.

6 Thus all the beasts, by some good spell,
in the stable dark were glad to tell
of the gifts they gave Emmanuel,
the gifts they gave Emmanuel.

Source: Hymns for a Pilgrim People: a congregational hymnal #98

• MIDI file from The Cyber Hymnal #1614
  
• Audio recording from The United Methodist Hymnal #227