THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS or A Visit from St Nicholas The Classic Edition by Clement C Moore Illustrated by Charles Santore APPLESAUCE PRESS Kennebunkport Maine
To Major Henry Livingston Jr. 1748 1828 C S Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas by Anonymous as published in The Troy Sentinel on December 23 1823 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 dane'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 Isprung 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 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 eyeshow 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 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 Inugh'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 jirk 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 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 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 tly 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
