Poor lit' brack sheep dat stray'd away,
Done los' in de win' and rain,
An' de Shepherd He say, "O hirelin',
Go fin' My sheep again.”
An' de hirelin' frowne, "O Shepherd,
Dat, sheep am brack an' bad.”
But de Shepherd He smile like de lir brack sheep
Is de onliest lamb He had.
An' He say, "O hirelin', hasten!
For de win' and de rain am col',
And dat lil’ brack sheep am lonesome
Out dere so far from de for.”
An' de hirelin' frown, "O Shepherd,
Dat sheep am ol' and gray.”
But de Shepherd He smile lak de lir brack sheep
Wuz fair as de break ob day.
An' He say, "O hirelin', hasten!
Lo, here is de ninety an' nine,
But dere way off from de sheep for
Is dat lil’ brack sheep ob Mine."
An' de hirelin' frown, "O Shepherd,
De rest of de sheep am here?
But de Shepherd He smile like de lil’ brack sheep
He hol’ it de mostes' dear.
An' de Shepherd go out in de darkness,
Where de night was col' an' bleak,
An' de lit' brack sheep He fin' it,
An' lay it again' His cheek.
An' de hirelin' frown, "O Shepherd,
Don't bring dat sheep to me.”
But de Shepherd He smile, and He hol' it: close,
`Cause de lil' brack sheep—is me!
E. M. B.