I In Distant Countries Have I Been, And Yet I Have Not Often Seen A Healthy Man, A Man Full Grown, Weep In The Public Roads, Alone. But Such A One, On English Ground, And In The Broad Highway, I Met; Along The Broad Highway He Came, His Cheeks With Tears Were Wet: Sturdy He Seemed, Though He Was Sad; And In His Arms A Lamb He Had. Ii He Saw Me, And He Turned Aside, As If He Wished Himself To Hide: And With His Coat Did Then Essay To Wipe Those Briny Tears Away. I Followed Him, And Said, "My Friend, What Ails You? Wherefore Weep You So?" "Shame On Me, Sir! This Lusty Lamb, He Makes My Tears To Flow. To-Day I Fetched Him From The Rock; He Is The Last Of All My Flock, Iii "When I Was Young, A Single Man, And After Youthful Follies Ran, Though Little Given To Care And Thought, Yet, So It Was, An Ewe I Bought; And Other Sheep From Her I Raised, As Healthy Sheep As You Might See; And Then I Married, And Was Rich As I Could Wish To Be; Of Sheep I Numbered A Full Score, And Every Year Increased My Store. Iv "Year After Year My Stock It Grew; And From This One, This Single Ewe, Full Fifty Comely Sheep I Raised, As Fine A Flock As Ever Grazed! Upon The Quantock Hills They Fed; They Throve, And We At Home Did Thrive: This Lusty Lamb Of All My Store Is All That Is Alive; And Now I Care Not If We Die, And Perish All Of Poverty. V "Six Children, Sir! Had I To Feed; Hard Labour In A Time Of Need! My Pride Was Tamed, And In Our Grief I Of The Parish Asked Relief. They Said, I Was A Wealthy Man; My Sheep Upon The Uplands Fed, And It Was Fit That Thence I Took Whereof To Buy Us Bread. 'Do This: How Can We Give To You,' They Cried, 'What To The Poor Is Due?' Vi "I Sold A Sheep, As They Had Said, And Bought My Little Children Bread, And They Were Healthy With Their Food For Me, It Never Did Me Good. A Woeful Time It Was For Me, To See The End Of All My Gains, The Pretty Flock Which I Had Reared With All My Care And Pains, To See It Melt Like Snow Away For Me It Was A Woeful Day. Vii "Another Still! And Still Another! A Little Lamb, And Then Its Mother! It Was A Vein That Never Stopped Like Blood-Drops From My Heart They Dropped. 'Till Thirty Were Not Left Alive They Dwindled, Dwindled, One By One And I May Say, That Many A Time I Wished They All Were Gone Reckless Of What Might Come At Last Were But The Bitter Struggle Past. Viii "To Wicked Deeds I Was Inclined, And Wicked Fancies Crossed My Mind; And Every Man I Chanced To See, I Thought He Knew Some Ill Of Me: No Peace, No Comfort Could I Find, No Ease, Within Doors Or Without; And, Crazily And Wearily I Went My Work About; And Oft Was Moved To Flee From Home, And Hide My Head Where Wild Beasts Roam. Ix "Sir! 'Twas A Precious Flock To Me, As Dear As My Own Children Be; For Daily With My Growing Store I Loved My Children More And More. Alas! It Was An Evil Time; God Cursed Me In My Sore Distress; I Prayed, Yet Every Day I Thought I Loved My Children Less; And Every Week, And Every Day, My Flock It Seemed To Melt Away. X "They Dwindled, Sir, Sad Sight To See! From Ten To Five, From Five To Three, A Lamb, A Wether, And A Ewe; And Then At Last From Three To Two; And, Of My Fifty, Yesterday I Had But Only One: And Here It Lies Upon My Arm, Alas! And I Have None; To-Day I Fetched It From The Rock; It Is The Last Of All My Flock."