"The Night Before Christmas"

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore

‘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 mama in her kerchief,

and I in may cap,

had just settled down 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 newfallen

snow,

gave a lustre of midday 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 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, Donder 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 a sleigh full of toys and

St. Nicholas, too.

And when 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 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 round little 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 as he drove

out of sight:

“Happy Christmas to All,

and to All a Good Night!”