Twas the Night before Christmas, Clement C. Moore
Twas the Night before Christmas
Clement C. Moore
Category: Verse
Genres: Poetry,Fantasy,Nursery rhymes
Level 1.84:00 m1.7 mb
This classic Christmas poem tells the story of a quiet Christmas Eve, when a family is fast asleep—except for one person who wakes up to a strange sound outside. Curious, he peeks out the window and sees something truly magical...

Twas the Night before Christmas

A Visit from St. Nicholas

by
Clement C. Moore

With Pictures by Jessie Willcox Smith

Twas the Night before Christmas
Twas the Night before Christmas

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 St. Nicholas soon would be there;

Twas the Night before Christmas

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 our brains for a long winter’s nap,

Twas the Night before Christmas

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.

Twas the Night before Christmas

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,

Twas the Night before Christmas

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:

Twas the Night before Christmas

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!”

Twas the Night before Christmas
Twas the Night before Christmas

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.

Twas the Night before Christmas

And 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. 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.

Twas the Night before Christmas

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;

Twas the Night before Christmas

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.

Twas the Night before Christmas

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;

Twas the Night before Christmas

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;

Twas the Night before Christmas

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.”

Twas the Night before Christmas
Twas the Night before Christmas