Twas the night before Christmas,
When all through the house
Not a creature  was stirring,
not even a mouse;

The stocking 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 vision of sugar-plum
danced in their heads;

And mamma in her kerchief
and I in my cap,
Had just settle our brains
for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn
there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed
to see what the matter.

Away to the window
I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutter
and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast
of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day
to the 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 name:

"Now, Dasher !
Now, Dancer !
Now, Prancer and ***** !
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 in 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 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 a snow;

The stump of the 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 eyes
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 ****,

And laying his finger
aside of this 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