'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 our brains for a long
winter's nap,
When out on 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 lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny
rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and
quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers 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 leaves that before the wild hurricane
fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to
the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers 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 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 clothes were all tarnished with
ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler 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 a 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 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,
And away they all flew like the down of a
thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of
sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good
night!”
