The Night Before
Christmas
by Clement C. 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 sugarplums danced
in their heads;
And Mama 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 luster 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 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 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!
