Dec 15 The Friendly Beasts

Dec 15 The Friendly Beasts
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/friendly_beasts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Beasts

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 up hill 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,
"I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry;
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I."
"I," said the dove from the rafters high.

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

"I," was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Immanuel,
The gift he gave Immanuel.
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

"The Friendly Beasts" is a traditional Christmas song about the gifts that a donkey, a cow, a sheep, and a dove gave to Jesus at the Nativity. The song probably originated in 12th-century France. It is set to the melody of the Latin song Orientis Partibus, which is attributed to Pierre de Corbeil, Bishop of Sens. The tune is said to have been part of the Fete de l’Ane (The Donkey’s Festival), which celebrated the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt and was a regular Christmas observance in Beauvais and Sens, France in the 13th century. During the mass, it was common for a donkey to be led or ridden into the church.

The words and tune were designed to give thanks for the ass on which Mary rode, and began: Orientis partibus Adventavit asinus (‘From the East the ass has come’). Each verse was sung, and finished with the chorus ‘Hail, Sir donkey, hail’. It was a solemn affair, but the tune became very popular in 17th and 18th century Germany.
The current English words were written by Robert Davis in the 1920s. The song is also known as "The Song of the Ass," The Donkey Carol," "The Animal Carol" and "The Gift of the Animals."

Craft: stable, manger scene, donkey, cow, sheep, dove, Mary on donkey, manger, hay, coat/blanket, feather
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blspbabymanger.htm