FRIENDS
THIS IS TEX RITTER
WITH A STRANGE STORY
ABOUT A SOLDIER BOY
AND A DECK OF CARDS
DURING THE NORTH
AFRICAN CAMPAIGN
A BUNCH OF SOLDIER BOYS
HAD BEEN ON A LONG HIKE
AND THEY ARRIVED
IN A LITTLE TOWN
CALLED CASINO
THE NEXT MORNING
BEING SUNDAY
SEVERAL OF THE BOYS
WENT TO CHURCH
A SERGEANT
COMMANDED THE BOYS
IN CHURCH
AND AFTER THE CHAPLAIN
HAD READ THE PRAYER
THE TEXT WAS
TAKEN UP NEXT
THOSE OF THE BOYS
WHO HAD A PRAYER BOOK
TOOK THEM OUT
BUT THIS ONE BOY
ONLY HAD
A DECK OF CARDS
AND SO HE
SPREAD THEM OUT
THE SERGEANT SAW
THE CARDS
AND SAID SOLDIER
PUT AWAY THOSE CARDS
AFTER THE SERVICES
WERE OVER
THE SOLDIER
WAS TAKEN PRISONER
AND BROUGHT BEFORE
THE PROVOST MARSHAL
THE MARSHAL SAID
SERGEANT
WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT
THIS MAN HERE
FOR PLAYING CARDS
IN CHURCH SIR
AND WHAT HAVE YOU
TO SAY FOR YOURSELF
SON
MUCH SIR
REPLIED THE SOLDIER
THE MARSHAL SAID
I HOPE SO
FOR IF NOT
I SHALL PUNISH YOU
MORE THAN ANY MAN
WAS EVER PUNISHED
THE SOLDIER SAID SIR
I HAVE BEEN ON A MARCH
FOR ABOUT SIX DAYS
AND HAD NEITHER BIBLE
NOR PRAYER BOOK
BUT I HOPE TO SATISFY
YOU SIR
WITH THE PURITY
OF MY INTENTIONS
WITH THAT
THE BOY STARTED
HIS STORY
YOU SEE SIR
WHEN I LOOK AT THE ACE
IT REMINDS ME
THERE IS BUT ONE GOD
AND THE DEUCE
REMINDS ME
THAT THE BIBLE
IS DIVIDED INTO
TWO PARTS
THE OLD AND
THE NEW TESTAMENT
AND WHEN I SEE
THE TREY
I THINK OF THE FATHER
THE SON
AND THE HOLY GHOST
WHEN I SEE THE FOUR
I THINK OF
THE FOUR EVANGELISTS
WHO PREACHED
THE GOSPEL
THERE WAS MATTHEW
MARK LUKE AND JOHN
AND WHEN I SEE THE FIVE
IT REMINDS ME
OF THE FIVE WISE VIRGINS
WHO TRIMMED
THEIR LAMPS
THERE WAS TEN OF THEM
FIVE WERE WISE
AND WERE SAVED
FIVE WERE FOOLISH
AND WERE SHUT OUT
AND WHEN I SEE THE SIX
IT REMINDS ME
THAT IN SIX DAYS
GOD MADE THIS GREAT
HEAVEN AND EARTH
AND WHEN I SEE
THE SEVEN
IT REMINDS ME
THAT ON THE
SEVENTH DAY
GOD RESTED
FROM HIS GREAT WORK
WHEN I SEE THE EIGHT
I THINK OF THE EIGHT
RIGHTEOUS PERSONS
GOD SAVED
WHEN HE DESTROYED
THIS EARTH
THERE WAS NOAH
HIS WIFE
THEIR THREE SONS
AND THEIR WIVES
AND WHEN I SEE THE NINE
I THINK OF THE LEPERS
OUR SAVIOR CLEANSED
AND NINE OF THE TEN
DIDN'T EVEN THANK HIM
WHEN I SEE THE TEN
I THINK OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
GOD HANDED DOWN
TO MOSES
ON A TABLE OF STONE
WHEN I SEE THE KING
IT REMINDS ME
THERE IS BUT ONE
KING OF HEAVEN
GOD ALMIGHTY
AND WHEN I SEE
THE QUEEN
I THINK OF THE BLESSED
VIRGIN MARY
WHO IS QUEEN
OF HEAVEN
AND THE JACK OR KNAVE
IS THE DEVIL
WHEN I COUNT
THE NUMBER OF SPOTS
ON A DECK OF CARDS
I FIND THREE HUNDRED
AND SIXTY-FIVE
THE NUMBER OF DAYS
IN A YEAR
FIFTY-TWO CARDS
THE NUMBER OF WEEKS
IN A YEAR
THERE'S FOUR SUITS
THE NUMBER OF WEEKS
IN A MONTH
THERE'S TWELVE
PICTURE CARDS
THE NUMBER OF MONTHS
IN A YEAR
THIRTEEN TRICKS
THE NUMBER OF WEEKS
IN A QUARTER
SO YOU SEE SIR
MY PACK OF CARDS
SERVE ME AS A BIBLE
ALMANAC
AND PRAYER BOOK
FRIENDS
I KNOW THIS STORY
IS TRUE
BECAUSE I KNEW
THAT SOLDIER