- Holidays: Christmas Stories: A Visit From St. Nicholas
Christmas Story: A Visit From St. Nicholas
A Visit From St. Nicholasby
Clement Clarke Moore |
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| The children
were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of
sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma 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, tore open the shutters
and threw up the sash. |
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| The moon on
the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster 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!" |
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| "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. |
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| 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 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; |
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He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, 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, as he drove out of sight, "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT." |
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