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 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
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 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 hand, 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 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 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 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 thistle
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of
sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT."
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