If I had lived long years ago
And seen, on Christmas night,
The strange star in the sky aglow,
I think perhaps I might
Have followed close the Wise Men Three,
The little Holy Child to see.

They brought Him presents rich and rare-
I would have brought one too,
And laid it with the treasures there;
Perhaps a ball of blue,
Or else a rabbit, soft and small,
For Him to cuddle in the stall.

I was not there, and so you see
I could not bring Him joy,
He had no birthday gift from me,
No ball or other toy,
And so at Christmas time I take
A gift to others – for His sake.

Taken from the Enid Blyton Poetry Book (1934) and originally written for The Teachers’ World (1933).