* Christmas at Irene's Country Corner * - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

 

© Karen White. Not available for download. Please, visit Cute Countryside Graphics if you like this graphic.

 

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

By Clement C. Moore


'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 hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And ma 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 the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
I tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

© Karen White. Not available for download. Please, visit Cute Countryside Graphics if you like this graphic.

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 Saint 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 !"

And 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 Saint Nicholas too.

© Karen White. Not available for download. Please, visit Cute Countryside Graphics if you like this graphic.

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 Saint 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 bowl full of jelly.

© Karen White. Not available for download. Please, visit Cute Countryside Graphics if you like this graphic.

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 exclain, where he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all ! And to all a good night !"

 

© Irene. Not available for download. Please, visit Graphics by Irene if you like this graphic.

~ Cute Countryside Graphics & Graphics by Irene ~
Country Side Graphics is not online anymore.

 

 



| Back to the Christmas Menu |

This page was created on: December 23rd 2001.
Background midi Tchaikowski's "Overture" from the Nutcracker

[ Site Index ] [ Home ]
 

 Nothing in this site is Public Domain. Graphics are copyrighted by various artists and are used with permission.
Please, click on the links above to visit the websites were you can download the graphics from. Do NOT take anything from my pages, please.