THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
(A VISIT FROM SAINT. NICHOLAS)
by Clement Clarke 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 SAINT 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 down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the 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 lustre of mid-day
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 Saint 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 house-top 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 hand, and was turning around,
Down the
chimney Saint 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 of 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."
Santa's Sleigh full of toys!
