Three Little Pennies

(album: The First Christmas - 1992)

There was an old, blind man
Who stood on the corner down town

He was holding a cup
Filled up with nothing
From the Christmas shopping crowd
And though I barely came up to the top of his cane
I reached up and gave him
Every cent to my name

Three little pennies
Were all that I had
One that I'd found
Two from my dad
Three little pennies not much of a gift
But Dad said "that's plenty, if it's all you can give"

That evening my dad told a wonderful story to me
About a child and the manger
The wise men who came bearing gifts on the first Christmas eve
There was a part I'm sure he made up
About a stable boy who couldn't give much

Three little pennies
Were all that he had
One that he'd found
Two from his dad
Three little pennies not much of a gift
But Dad said "that's plenty if it's all you can give"

Next morning was Christmas
And I had prayed hard for a bike
But all that I found was the tiniest box
With three shiny pennies inside

And I was so disappointed because I had been good
But times had been bad so I understood
And daddy said

"Three little pennies
Were all that you had
But you gave them freely
So I gave them back
Three little pennies not much of a gift
Your bike is outside because you've learned how to give"