The Black Sheep

In a country village not so many years ago,
Lived an old and feeble man whose hairs were turning grey;
He had three sons, three only sons, both Jack and Tom were sly,
And Ted was honest as could be and never told a lie.

The brothers then began to ruin Ted before the old man's eye
The poison soon begin to work and Ted was much despised.
One day the old man said to him, "Your're heartless to the core."
And this were the worst, as Ted explained, while standing near the door.

"Don't be angry with me, Dad, don't turn me from your door;
I know that I've been weaker, but I won't be anymore.
Just give me another chance and put me through the test,
And you'll find that the black sheep loves you, Dad, far better than the
rest."

Year by year kept rolling on, the father growing old,
He called to him both Jack and Tom and gave to them his gold.
"All I want is a little room and a place by your fireside."
Then Jack came home one day, and brought with him a bride.

The bride began to hate the father, more and more each day.
One day he heard the three explain, "The old fool is in the way."
Then, they agreed to send him to a poorhouse that was near,
And like a flash the black sheep's words cam ringing in his ear.

"Don't be angry with me, Dad, don't turn me from your door;
I know that I've been weaker, but I won't be anymore.
Just give me another chance and put me through the test,
And you'll find that the black sheep loves you, Dad, far better than the
rest."

A wagon rolled up to the door, it was the poorhouse van
The brothers pointed to their dad and said, "Here is the man."
Just then a man leaped from the road, came pushing through the crowd
"Stop, stop, " the stranger cried, "this shall not be allowed!"
"They took the old man's property and all that he had saved,
They even sold a little lot containing his wife's grave
I am his son, if you know him, from now 'til judgement day."
The old man grabbed the young man's hand, the crowd then heard him say.

"Don't be angry with me, lad, don't put me from your door;
I know that I've been foolish, but I won't be anymore.
I wish I gave to you my goldfor you have stood the test,
For I know the black sheep loves his dad, far better than the rest."

from Folk Songs out of Wisconsin, Peters
collected from Robert A. Steinback, Wausau, WI, 1941
RG