A poor orphan girl
named Maria
Was walking to market
one day
She stopped for
to rest by the road side
Where a bird with a
broken wing lay
A few moments passed till
she saw it
For it feathers were
covered with sand
And soon clean
and wrapped it was traveling
In the warmth of Maria's
small hand
She happily gave her
last peso
On a cage made of
rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from
the market
And watched it grow stronger
with time
Now the gift giving
service was coming
And the chruch shone
with tinsel and light
And all of the town
folk brought presents
To lay by the manger
that night
There were diamonds
incense and perfumes
And packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird
in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring
She waited till just before
midnight
So no one would see her
go in
And crying she knelt
by the manger
For her gift was unworthy
of him
Then a voice spoke to her
through the darkness
Maria what brings you to me
If the bird in the
cage is your offering
Open the door let me see
So she trembled
she did as he asked her
And out of the
cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had
healed good as new
And just then the midnight
bells rang out
And the little bird
started to sing
A song that no
words could recapture
For it's beauty was
fit for a king
Now Maria felt blessed
just to listen
To that cascade of
notes sweet and long
As her offering
was lifted to heaven
By the very first
nightingale's song