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 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, on Donner 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 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!"
*Decorating Tip*
hang bells from the bottom of your Christmas tree to alert you
when kitty cats, puppies dogs, and children get snooping too close to the tree.
