'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 sugarplums
Danced in their heads
And mamma in her kerchief,
And I in my cap,
Had just settled down
For a long winter nap
When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed
To see what was the matter.
When, what to my wondering
Eyes should appear,
But a minature 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 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 dry 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 fullof 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 turing 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 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 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 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 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!''
-Favourite Christmas stories
by Clement Clarke Moore
illustrated by Elizabeth webbe.
