** *OO* TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS WHEN ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING, NOT EVEN A MOUSE.THE STOCKINGS WERE HUNG BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE IN HOPE 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 MAMA IN HER KERCHIEF AND I IN MY CAP HAD JUST SETTLED DOWN FOR A LONG WINTERS 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, 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 OBSTACLES MOUNT TO THE SKY, SO UP TO THE HOUSE TOP THE COURSERS THEY FLEW, WITH A SLEIGH FULL OF TOYS AND ST. NICHOLAS TOO, AND THEN IN A TWINKLING I HEARD ON THE ROOF THE PRAN- CING AND PAWING OF EACH LITTLE HOOF, AS I DREW IN MY HEAD AND WAS TURN- ING AROUND, DOWN THE CHIMNEY ST. NICHOLAS CAME WITH A BOUND, 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 DIM- PLES 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 ON HIS CHIN FACE AND LITTLE ROUND BELLY THAT SHOOK WHEN HE LAUGHED LIKE A BOWL FULL 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 OF HIS STOCKINGS AND 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 GAVE A LUSTER OF MID-DAY TO OBJECTS BELOW, WHEN WHAT TO MY 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 WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR, BUT A MINATURE 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 VIXON ON COMET, ON CUPID, ON DONNER AND BLITZEN, NIGHT. THISTLE, BUT I HEARD HIM EXCLAIM AS HE DROVE OUT OF SIGHT MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD