'Twas The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas
When all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse

The stockings all hung
By the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas
Soon would be there

The children were nestled
All safe in their beds
While visions of sugarplums
Danced in their heads

And Mom in her kerchief
And I in my cap
Had just settled down
For a long winters 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 the luster of midday
To object below

When, what to my wandering eyes
Should appear
But a miniature sleigh
And eight tiny reindeer

With a little ol' driver
So lively and quick
I knew in a moment
It must be St. Nick

More rapid than eagles
His courses they came
As he whistled and shouted
And called them by name

"Now Dasher, now Dancer
Now Prancer, now Vixen
On Comet, on Cupid
On Doner, 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 before the wild
Hurricane fly when they meet
With an obstacle
Mount to the sky

So up to the housetop
The courses they flew
With a 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 peddler

Just opening his pack
His eyes, how they twinkle
His dimples how merry
His cheeks were like roses

His nose like a cherry
His drawl little mouth
Was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin

Was a 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 round little belly
That shook when he laughed

Like a bowl full of jelly
He was chubby and plump
A right jolly old elf
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
An laying a finger
Along side his nose

An giving a nod
Up the chimney he rose
He sprang to his sleigh
To his team gave a whistle

An 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 goodnight

Hmm