Rewards of Faith

Today a bright-eyes traveller
   Came begging at my door.
"As I was headin' north, said he,
   "The frost lay deep and hoor;
So a man gave me this overcoat:
   He said that it looked cold.
It may seem sort o' frayed a bit,
   But 'tain't so very old.

"As I was headin' east, said he,
   "The rain came down a treat.
So a man gave me this pair of boots
   So I could have dry feet.
An' then the rain turned into snow
   As I was headin' west,
So a cove gave me this pair o' pants
   An' this here woolly vest.

"An' when I'm headin' south again --
   Gosh!  How them blizzards blowed.
Such weather I ain't never seen,
   Not since I took the road.
An', as me own was bashed a bit,
   A toff gave me his hat.
You'd hardly think it had been wore,
   An' stylish, too, at that.

"Now all I need's a bit o' grub --
   Hunger do nip a bloke --
An' a pinch o' tea an' sugar
   An' some baccy for a smoke.
Then I'll be fit to be a king,
   Come snow or hail or storm;
For I found, in ten years' travellin',
   Men's hearts can still be warm."