The Gift-Nashville All Star Combo

[ti:The Gift] [ar:Stagecoach Nation] [al:100 Big Time Country Hits] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]The Gift (Instrumental Version) - Nashville All Star Combo [00:06.86]A poor orphan girl named Maria [00:10.45] [00:12.00]Was walking to market one day [00:15.98] [00:17.89]She stopped for a rest by the roadside [00:22.36] [00:23.51]Where a bird with a broken wing lay [00:27.68] [00:29.38]A few moments passed till she saw it [00:33.33] [00:34.71]For it's feathers were covered with sand [00:38.56] [00:40.83]But soon clean and wrapped it was traveling [00:44.93] [00:46.12]In the warmth of Maria's small hand [00:50.02] [00:52.26]She happily gave her last peso [00:56.70] [00:57.65]On a cage made of rushes and twine [01:01.78] [01:03.67]She fed it loose corn from the market [01:08.10] [01:09.44]And watched it grow stronger with time [01:13.03] [01:14.46]Now the Christmas Eve service was coming [01:19.18] [01:20.34]And the church shone with tinsel and light [01:24.84] [01:26.57]And all of the townfolk brought presents [01:30.83] [01:32.30]To lay by the manger that night [01:35.88] [01:37.33]There were diamonds and incense and perfumes [01:42.44] [01:43.68]In packages fit for a king [01:47.26] [01:49.14]But for one ragged bird in a small cage [01:54.08] [01:55.17]Maria had nothing to bring [01:58.65] [02:00.84]She waited till just before midnight [02:05.33] [02:06.46]So no one could see her go in [02:10.09] [02:12.34]And crying she knelt by the manger [02:16.66] [02:17.72]For her gift was unworthy of him [02:21.35] [02:23.89]Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness [02:28.07] [02:29.39]Maria what brings you to me [02:32.88] [02:34.74]If the bird in the cage is your offering [02:39.25] [02:41.09]Open the door let me see [02:44.62] [02:46.48]She trembled she did as he asked her [02:50.74] [02:52.37]And out of the cage the bird flew [02:55.79] [02:58.06]Soaring up into the rafters [03:02.49] [03:03.48]On a wing that had healed good as new [03:07.48] [03:09.63]Just then the midnight bells rang out [03:13.81] [03:14.82]And the little bird started to sing [03:18.55] [03:20.86]A song that no words could recapture [03:25.25] [03:26.39]Whose beauty was fit for a king [03:30.29] [03:31.63]Now Maria felt blessed just to listen [03:36.59] [03:37.77]To that cascade of notes sweet and long [03:42.14] [03:43.39]As her offering was lifted to heaven [03:47.75] [03:48.94]By the very first nightingale's [03:54.32] [03:55.69]Song