Deck of Cards

Deck of Cards - Wink Martindale

During the North African campaign

A bunch of soldier boys had

Been on a long hike

And they arrived in

A little town called Casino

The next morning being Sunday

Several of the boys went to Church

A sergeant commanded the boys

In Church and after the Chaplain

Had read the prayer

The text was taken up next

Those of the boys

Who had a prayer book took them out

But this one boy had only

A deck of cards

And so he spread them out

The Sergeant saw the cards and said

"Soldier put away those cards "

After the services was over

The soldier was taken prisoner and

Brought before the Provost Marshall

The Marshall said

"Sergeant why have you

Brought this man here "

"For playing cards in church Sir "

"And what have you to say for

Yourself son " "Much Sir "

Replied the soldier

The Marshall said

"I hope so for if not I shall

Punish you more than

Any man was ever punished "

The soldier said

"Sir I have been on the march

For about six days

I have neither a Bible nor a prayer book

But I hope to satisfy

You Sir with the purity of my intentions "

And with that the boy

Started his story:

"You see Sir when I look at the Ace

It reminds me that there

Is but one God

And the Deuce reminds me

That the Bible is divided into

Two parts the Old and the New Testaments

When I see the Trey

I think of the Father the Son

And the Holy Ghost

And when I see the Four

I think of the four Evangelists

Who preached the Gospel;

There was Matthew

Mark Luke and John

And when I see the Five

It reminds me of the five

Wise virgins who trimmed

Their lamps; there were ten of them:

Five were wise and were saved

Five were foolish and were shut out

When I see the Six

It reminds me that in six days

God made this great heaven and earth

When I see the Seven

It reminds me that on the seventh day

God rested from His great work

And when I see the Eight

I think of the eight righteous persons

God saved when He destroyed this earth;

There was Noah his wife

Their sons and their wives

And when I see the Nine

I think of the lepers our Savior cleansed

And nine out of the ten didn't

Even thank Him

When I see the Ten

I think of the Ten Commandments God

Handed down to Moses

On a table of stone

When I see the King

It reminds me that there is

But one King of Heaven God Almighty

And when I see the Queen

I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Who is Queen of Heaven

And the Jack or Knave is the Devil

When I count the number

Of spots on a deck of cards

I find 365 the number of days in a year

There are 52 cards

The number of weeks in a year

There are 4 suits the

Number of weeks in a month

There are 12 picture cards the number of

Months in a year There are 13 tricks

The number of weeks in a quarter

So you see Sir

My pack of cards serves me as a Bible

An Almanac and a

Prayer Book "

"And friends the story is true I know

I was that soldier "