|
Account
of a Visit from St. Nicholas
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all
thro' 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 danc'd 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 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 rein-deer,
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 call'd them
by name:
" Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and
Vixen,
" On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;
" To the top of the porch! to the top of the
wall!
" Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves 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 dress'd all in fur, from his head to
his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes
and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he look'd 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 laugh'd, like a bowl full
of jelly:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old
elf,
And I laugh'd 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 fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with
a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprung 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.
Bing
Crosby's White
Christmas
Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas
Frank
Sinatra's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
John
Lennon's Happy Christmas
(These
are mp3's. Click on the song, and then select
"Open",
the song will appear
to download but doesn't really. They will begin
playing with whatever default player you have on
your system) |