"Happy Christmas To All, And To All A Good Night!"

The poem I am about to type, you all probably know. It is one of the most popular and classic Christmas poems.

'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 in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums
danced in their heads;

And mamma in her kerchief,
and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains
for a long winter nap;

When out in the lawn
there arose such a clatter,
I sprang out of 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 courses 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, Dunder and Blixen!

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 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 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 snow.

The stump of a pipe
he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled
his head like wreath.

He had a broad face
and a round little 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 my self.

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 he 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!"

I won't be writing another post before Christmas. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.