Tell me the stories of Jesus

441 Stories of Jesus. 8. 4. 8. 4. 5. 4. 5. 4.

1 Tell me the stories of Jesus
   I love to hear;
   Things I would ask Him to tell me
   If He were here:
   Scenes by the wayside,
   Tales of the sea,
   Stories of Jesus,
   Tell them to me.

2 First let me hear how the children
   Stood 'round His knee,
   And I shall fancy His blessing
   Resting on me;
   Words full of kindness,
   Deeds full of grace,
   All in the love-light
   Of Jesus' face.

3 Into the city I'd follow
   The children's band,
   Waving a branch of the palm tree
   High in my hand;
   One of His heralds,
   Yes, I would sing
   Loudest hosannas,
   "Jesus is King!"
                         William H. Parker
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
We're still working through the children's hymn section. Most of them are pretty moralistic and, frankly, boring. No wonder they didn't stick in my mind. This one, however, was always a favorite of mine. I loved to hear the gospel stories read, and I loved to read them. I'd like to think that some of them stuck...

I was surprised to see that this hymn only occurs in about 150 hymnals. I had assumed it was far more popular!

According to cyberhymnal, there are two more verses (and note that they break up the lines a bit differently):

3. Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea,
   Tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee;
   And how the Maker, ready and kind,
   Chided the billows, and hushed the wind.

5. Show me that scene in the garden, of bitter pain.
   Show me the cross where my Savior for me was slain.
   Sad ones or bright ones, so that they be
   Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

</idle musing>