# Gentle Mary Laid her Child on the Feast of Stephen?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 10, 1999, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583 "1999-12-10T14:45:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/1 "1999-12-10T14:45:00Z")
I play bells in a handbell choir. One of the songs we play is “Good King Wenceslas” which appears to have the alternate title of “Gentle Mary Laid her Child”. Has anyone ever hear of this version? Could anyone provide me with the words to the first verse?
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### Author:  [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/2 "1999-12-10T15:56:00Z")
Hi- my wife is a musician, and music teacher. I will be glad to research this, and post the answer- or,email me with you address directly, and we can keep this off of the boards.
Best, Cartooniverse
" If you want to kiss the sky, you’d better learn how to kneel "
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/3 "1999-12-10T15:58:00Z")
::: singing :::
Good king Winkelhopf looked out,
On his feets uneven.
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/4 "1999-12-10T17:16:00Z")
It’s something like this:
Gentle Mary laid her child
Lowly in a manger.
There he lay, the undefiled,
To the world a stranger.
Such a babe in such a place.
Can he be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race,
Who have found his favor.
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### Author:  [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/5 "1999-12-10T17:21:00Z")
“The Undefiled?” No way – he was just laid by his own mom in a barn! Most places have laws against that sort of thing … 😉
* * *
–Da Cap’n
“Playin’ solitaire 'til dawn
With a deck of fifty-one.”
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [December 11, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/6 "1999-12-11T06:03:00Z")
As I was typing the first line, I was thinking to myself, “Oh no, they wouldn’t…would they?”
Of course they would. This is the SDMB.
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### Author:  [@Lucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/7 "1999-12-10T20:35:00Z")
Good King Wencaslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
Where the snow lay round about
deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel.
* * *
“I should not take bribes and Minister Bal Bahadur KC should not do so either. But if clerks take a bribe of Rs 50-60 after a hard day’s work, it is not an issue.” ----Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Current Prime Minister of Nepal
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### Author:  [@LongHrn99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongHrn99)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/8 "1999-12-10T21:21:00Z")
It’s a good thing I hadn’t pulled a beer from the fridge yet, Uncle, I would hate to have to replace ANOTHER keyboard this year.
* * *
“I hear the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.” -T.S. Eliot
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### Author:  [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/9 "1999-12-10T21:44:00Z")
Sorry – it’s really not my fault. Being Cap’n Crude is a responsibility I shoulder only with the gravest care. Besides, my hands have Tourette’s Syndrome. 😉
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### Author:  [@LongHrn99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LongHrn99)
#### Post date: [December 10, 1999, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/10 "1999-12-10T21:55:00Z")
Doh, apparently I’m REALLY in need of beer today. That should have been Cap’n, not Uncle. My apologies Cap.
* * *
“I hear the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me.” -T.S. Eliot
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [December 11, 1999, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/11 "1999-12-11T02:45:00Z")
“Hither, Page, and stand by me,
if thou knowst it, telling.
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and whence his dwelling?”
“Sire he lives a good league hence,
underneath the mountain,
up against the forest fence,
by St Agnes’ Fountain.”
* * *
-PIGEONMAN-
Hero For A New Millennium!
[The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - updates every Wed & Sat. If I can be bothered.
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### Author:  [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)
#### Post date: [December 11, 1999, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/12 "1999-12-11T04:20:00Z")
“Bring me flesh and bring me wine,
Bring me pine logs hither,
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.”
* * *
\\| |/
=== '\>
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [December 11, 1999, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/13 "1999-12-11T23:29:00Z")
Cher3,
Thank you for providing words to the song with which I was unfamiliar.
Cartooniverse,
thank you for your offer, but Cher3’s answer is sufficient for my curiousity.
to those providing words to “Good King Wenceslas”,
Gee, Thanks. I KNEW those words (more or less).
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### Author:  [@joemill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joemill)
#### Post date: [December 12, 1999, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/14 "1999-12-12T17:11:00Z")
In His master’s steps he trod
Where the snow laid tainted.
Heat was in the very sod
where the saint had prainted.
Therefore Christian men rejoice
??? (forgot this line) ???
All of those who bless the poor
Shall themselves find Blessing.
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### Author:  [@Lucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky)
#### Post date: [December 12, 1999, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/15 "1999-12-12T21:30:00Z")
[feeling link an idiot]I guess I need to practise my reading comprehension skills. Sorry about that.[/feeling like and idiot]
* * *
“I should not take bribes and Minister Bal Bahadur KC should not do so either. But if clerks take a bribe of Rs 50-60 after a hard day’s work, it is not an issue.” ----Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Current Prime Minister of Nepal
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### Author:  [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)
#### Post date: [December 24, 1999, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/16 "1999-12-24T15:43:00Z")
And, from the archives of Walt Kelly’s “Pogo” comic strip:
“Good King Sauerkraut looked out
On your feets so porous.
While the snoo lay round and bout
Deep with crisply chorus.”
“Snoo? What’s snoo?”
“Nothin’. What’s new with you?”
## I swear. I’ve seen that “Pogo” cartoon in an anthology somewhere, cheap snoo joke and all.
The Dave-Guy
“since my daughter’s only half-Jewish, can she go in up to her knees?” J.H. Marx
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### Author:  [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)
#### Post date: [December 26, 1999, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/17 "1999-12-26T23:52:00Z")
Golly…I thought the way Walt Kelly rewrote the song was (with Churchy LaFemme pounding a drum and singing at the top of his voice): “Good King Sauerkraut looked out/On his feets uneven!” 😃
* * *
“If you drive an automobile, please drive carefully–because I walk in my sleep.”–Victor Borge
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### Author:  [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)
#### Post date: [December 27, 1999, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/18 "1999-12-27T01:30:00Z")
\>\> “Snoo? What’s snoo?”
Not much. what’s snoo with you?
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### Author:  [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)
#### Post date: [December 27, 1999, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gentle-mary-laid-her-child-on-the-feast-of-stephen/5583/19 "1999-12-27T16:15:00Z")
joemill:
“Wealth or rank posessing”