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The Fool’s Christmas · Ririro.com - Poetry

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The Fool's Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the king, disconsolate, weary
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  Speaker 1: with all the round of pomp and state, gave whisper
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  Speaker 1: to his fool, a merry way have I bethought us
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  Speaker 1: to spend our holiday? Thou shalt be king, and I
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  Speaker 1: the fool will be, and thou shalt rule the court
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  Speaker 1: in drollery for one short day with caper gad and
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  Speaker 1: grin full. Saucily replied the harlequin, A merry play, and
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  Speaker 1: sire amazing strange for one of us to suffer such
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: a change. But thou, why, all the kings of earth said,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: he have played the fool, and played it skillfully. Then
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  Speaker 1: the king's laugh stirred all the heiras dim till courtiers
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: wondered at his humor grim. And so it chanced, when
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: wintry sunbeams shone from Christmas skies low perched upon the throne,
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  Speaker 1: sat Lionel the fool in purple, dressed the royal jewels
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  Speaker 1: blazing on his breast. On Christmas morning too, the king
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  Speaker 1: arose and dawned with sense of ease, the silken hose
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  Speaker 1: of blue and scarlet, then the doublet red with azure
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  Speaker 1: slashed upon his kingly head that wearied oft beneath a
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  Speaker 1: jeweled crown. He drew the jingling hood and tied it down.
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  Speaker 1: All day he crouched amid the chill and gloom, none
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  Speaker 1: seeking him within the turret room. But when calm night
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  Speaker 1: with starry lamps came down her purple stairs, he crept
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  Speaker 1: forth to the town, his scanty cape about his shoulders,
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  Speaker 1: blue close to his face. The screening hood he drew.
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  Speaker 1: He knocked first at a cottage of the poor, and
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  Speaker 1: lo flew open wide the ready door. We have not
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  Speaker 1: much to give, dear fool, they said, But thou art cold,
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  Speaker 1: come share our fire and bread with willing hands. They
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  Speaker 1: freed his cape from snow, and warmed and cheered him.
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  Speaker 1: Ere they let him go, And so twas ever by
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  Speaker 1: the firelight dim of many a hearthstone poor, they welcomed him.
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  Speaker 1: And children who would shun the king in awe would
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  Speaker 1: scamper to the doorway if they saw the scarlet peak
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  Speaker 1: of Lionel's red hood. Dear fool, they called him loudly,
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  Speaker 1: thou wert good to bring the frosted cake. Come in
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  Speaker 1: and see our little Lizbeth hark. She calls for thee,
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  Speaker 1: and so twas ever. On his way, the king with
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  Speaker 1: softened heart saw many a grievous thing, But love he
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  Speaker 1: found and charity. And when he crept at dawn through
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  Speaker 1: palace gates again, he knew that he who rules by
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  Speaker 1: fear alone may sit securely on his dreaded throne. But
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: he who rules by love shall find it true that love,
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  Speaker 1: the milder power, is mightier too. Dear fool, he said,
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  Speaker 1: thou art a king in sooth, the king of hearts.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Today no farce but truth, For I have seen that thou,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: beneath my rule hast often played the king, and I
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  Speaker 1: the fool,