as it fell out on a cold winter day the drops of rain did fall our savior asked leave of his mother mary if he might go play at ball go up the hill his mother said and there you will find three jolly children but let me hear no complaint of you when you come home again but the children said we are royal sons and we will not play at ball for you are but a poor maid s child born in an oxen stall if you are lords and ladies sons and you will not play at ball i ll build you a bridge of the beams of the sun to play upon us all and he built them a bridge of the beams of the sun and over the pools they played all three and the mothers called mary call home your child ere ours are drowned be mary mild mary mild called home her child and when she asked him why said he oh i built them a bridge of the beams of the sun so they would play at ball with me so they would play with me 