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‘T was
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 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
"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 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 pedlar just opening his
pack.
His
eyes, how they twinkle! 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 goodnight!" |