twas the night before christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse the stockings all hung by the chimney with care in hopes that st nicholas soon would be there the children were nestled all safe in their beds while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads and mom in her kerchief and i in my cap had just settled down 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 the lustre of midday to object below when what to my wandering eyes should appear but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer with a little ol driver so lively and quick i knew in a moment it must be st nick more rapid than eagles his courses they came as he whistled and shouted and called them by name now dasher now dancer now prancer now vixen on comet on cupid on doner an blitzen 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 housetop the courses 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 drawl little mouth was drawn up like a bow and the beard of his chin was a white as the snow the stump of his pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath he had a broad face and a round little belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly he was chubby and plump a right jolly old elf 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 an laying a finger along side his nose an giving a nod up the chimney he rose he sprang to his sleigh to his team gave a whistle an away they all flew like the down of a thistle but i heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight happy christmas to all and to all a goodnight hmmm