"Ruby"

 

My first story/poem, from many years ago: A children's parable to be read aloud, and sung a capella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read:

 

Once upon a time, there was a little girl

named Ruby, who was just like other girls

No different, really, from all the rest

Except that Ruby lived behind a fence.

 

Inside this fence, was a big church, where

she was born and lived with her family, there

with her uncles and cousins and friends in the borders

the church dwelt together, decently and in order

 

Now this fence 'round the church was so tall and so wide

no one ever looked at the world outside

Every Sunday, they'd gather and sing

a hymn of praise to their God and King

 

Sing:

 

     Oh thanks to the One we worship here

     Inside this Fence we have no fear

     The wall keeps us safe, the wall makes sense

     Oh praise the King, oh praise the Fence!

 

Read:

 

One spring day, Ruby went out to play

For the first time, she noticed the fence had a gate

In the gate was a lock, in the lock was a key

Ruby turned it and opened the gate quietly

 

She stood and she stared, what a beautiful scene

There were flowers and fields and a hill of green

Just a speck in the distance was a cottage and yard

She went off to explore, though she knew it was far

 

Off she skipped to the cottage, and there was a man

who was tending his garden, she held out her hand

"I'm Ruby," she said, "from the church way back there."

Said, the man, "I am so pleased to meet you my dear."

 

"It has been many years since I talked with your people

I know the place well, I designed the fine steeple

I founded the church, with my two hands I built it

But since they put the fence up, I've not been included."

 

"The people stay in, no one ever comes out

But there's a good reason that you're here no doubt

Would you like to see something the others can't see

When they're sitting inside of the church comfortably?"

 

"Oh yes, please!" Ruby said. "Everything is so pretty."

Then he showed her a valley, down below was a city.

There were thousands of houses, a great noisy world

It was a huge sight for such a small girl.

 

"The world is so big!" Ruby cried out, amazed

"The others should know, I will tell them today

Life is more than a fence 'round a church and a steeple

It is so much much more, there's a world full of people."

 

Ruby hugged the man hard, she turned and he smiled

and as she waved good-bye, his eyes followed the child.

She ran back to the churchyard, tried to enter the gate

But now, she was locked out, she remembered the date

 

It was Sunday.

The people were in the church building

She stood there quite still

She could hear them all singing

 

Sing:

 

     Oh praise to the One who keeps us in

     From this world of grief and sin

     The wall keeps us safe, the wall makes sense

     Oh praise the King, oh praise the Fence.

 

Read:

 

Ruby waited 'till she knew they were praying

And then she knew what she had to be saying

She opened her mouth and she opened it wide

And she let her voice soar, very clear, very high

 

Sing:

 

     I am your daughter, I'm waiting here

     Outside this fence that you hold so dear

     The whole world is waiting, just like me

     Oh praise the One who makes us free

 

Read:

 

It was then that they heard, saw that she was not with them

They ran down to the gate and they let Ruby in, then

Later the grown-ups were fussing and talking

Some were upset that the child had gone walking

 

Others said, "No. This is not Ruby's fault.

The gate is the problem. It should always be locked."

But a few said they'd had second thoughts on it all

that maybe they'd lived far too long with the wall.

 

Now, the children were listening and the very next day

They made up a wondrous, magnificent game

It was only a game, no one could have guessed

What would happen when they played, 

 

"LET'S PUSH DOWN THE FENCE."

 

Each child took a post, there were at least a hundred

They yelled, "ONE TWO THREE PUSH!!"

And the sound was like thunder

For when they leaned hard on the rotten old boards

The whole fence crashed down of its own accord.

 

In the church they could hear it, the grown ups ran out

saw the wall that had toppled kersplat on the ground

Their children were laughing, they skipped and they ran

behind Ruby as she led them to the house of the man

 

And that day there was music, small voices were ringing

The grown ups now listened, their children were singing.

 

Sing:

 

     Oh praise to the One who is our Gate

     He calls us to come and we cannot wait

     His love is our song of liberty

     Oh praise the One who makes us free