Twas the night before Christmas
When all thru 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
danced in their heads.
And Mommy 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 a new fallen snow
Give the luster of midday
to objects below.

When what to my wonderin’
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 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 a wild hurricane fly
When they meet with an
obstacle mounted the sky
So up to the house top
the coursers they flew
With the sleighful 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
covered in ashes in 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
And 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 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 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 then with a nod
up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to this sleigh
to his team and gave whistle
Away they all flew like
a down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim
As he rode out of sight

Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a goodnight.

Merry Christmas