The Night Before Christmas
To all, And to all a Good-Night!"
the night before Christmas
And 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 Mama in her 'kerchief and I in my cap;
Had just settled down for a long winters' nap.
When out the lawn, there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my 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 a luster of mid-day of objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear;
But a minature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer
With alittle 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 met with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up on the housetopsthe courses they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too
And then in a twinkle, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head 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 cloths were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a 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 on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of his pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath,
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook
when he laughed like a bowl full 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 eye
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 a 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,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
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