“Twas the night before Christmas , when all through the house /
Not a creature was stirring , not even a mouse; /
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, /
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; /
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, /
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; /
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,/
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap /
When out on the lawn arose such a clatter,/
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. /
Away to the window I flew like a flash, /
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash./
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow /
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, /
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, /
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, /
With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. /
More rapid than eagles his courses they came, /
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name; /
“Now DASHER! now DANCER! now , PRANCER and VIXEN! /
On COMET! on CUPID! on DONNER and BLITZEN! /
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! ? Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!” /
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, /
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, / So up to the house top the courses they flew, /
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too! /
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof /
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. /
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, /
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. /
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, /
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; / A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, /
and he looked like peddler just opening his pack. /
His eyes, how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! /
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! /
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, /
And the beard of his chin was white like the snow; /
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath ,/
He had a broad face and little round belly, /
That shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. /
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, /
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; /
A wink of his eyes and a twist of his head, /
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread ; /
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, /
And filled all the stockings: /
then turned with a jerk, /
And laying his finger aside of his nose, /
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; /
He sprang to his sleigh, /
to his team gave a whistle, /
All away they all flew like the down of a thistle. /
But I heard him exclaim , as he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!
0 Comments