1.Deck Of Cards (1948)
Friends, this is Tex Ritter with a strange story about a soldier
boy and a deck of cards.
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
Chaplin 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
only had a deck of card and so he spread them out. The sergeant
saw the cards and said, Soldier, put away those cards. After
the services were over the soldier was taken prisoner and was
taken before the provost marshal. The marshal said sergeant,
Why have you brought this man here？ For playing cards in
church, Sir. And what do you have to say for yourself son？
Much, Sir replied the soldier. The Marshal said, I hope for
if not, I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished.
The soldier said, Sir, I have been on a march for six days and
I had neither bible or prayer book, but I hope to satisfy you,
Sir, with the purity of my intentions. With that the boy
started his story.
You see sir when I see the Ace, it reminds me that there is but
one God. And the deuce reminds me the bible is divided into two
parts, the Old and the New Testament. And when I see the three,
I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. When I see
the four, I think of the four evangelists who preached the
gospel, there was Mathew, 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 and five were foolish and were shut out. And when I see
the six it reminds me that in six days God made this great
heaven and earth. And 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 people God saved when
he destroyed this earth. There was Noah, his wife, their three
sons and their wives. And when I think of the nine, I think of
the leapers our savior cleansed and nine 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 in heaven, God
all Mighty. 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 of a deck of cards I find three
hundred and sixty-five, the number of days in a year. There are
fifty-two cards, the number of weeks in a year. There's four
suits, the number of weeks in a month. There's twelve picture
cards, the number of months in a year. There are thirteen
tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter.
So you see, Sir, my deck of cards serves me as a Bible, almanac,
and prayer book. And friends I know that story is true cause I
knew that soldier.
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