T'was 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 St. Nicholas   Soon would be there      The children were nestled   All snuggled in bed   While visions of sugarplums   Danced in their heads      And mom 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      What to my wandering eyes   Should appear   But a miniature sleigh   And eight tiny reindeer      A little ol' driver   So lively and quick   I knew in a moment   It must be St. Nick      More rapid than eagles   His courses they came   As he whistled and shouted   And called them by name      Now Dasher, now Dancer   Now Prancer and Vixen   On Comet, on Cupid   On Doner and Blitzen      Top of the porch   To the top of the wall   Now dash away, dash away   Dash away all      So, up to the housetop   The courses they flew   With a sleigh full of toys   And St. Nick, too      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. Nick   Came with a bound      Dressed all in fur   From his head to his foot   And his clothes were all covered   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 drawl little mouth   Was drawn up like a bow   And the beard on 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 round little belly   That shook when he laughed   Like a bowl full of jelly      He's chubby and plump   A right jolly old elf   And I laughed when I saw him   In spite of myself      He spoke not a word   But went straight to his work   And filled all the stockings   Then turned with a jerk      Yeah, laying a finger   Along side his nose   And giving a nod   Up the chimney he rose      He sprang to his sleigh   To his team, gave a whistle   Away they all flew   Like the down of a thistle      But I heard him exclaim   As he drove out of sight   "Happy Christmas to all   And to all a goodnight"