I can recite this poem by heart... HERE GOES!!!.. 👉
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"'T was the night before Christmas and 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 our brains 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.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes did 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 faster than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name, ---
'On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer, and Vixen, on Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the house, to the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!'
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they met without obstacle, mount to the sky,
So, up to the housetop the reindeer they flew
With a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas too!
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each tiny hoof.
As I drew in my head 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.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke
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 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 nod of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
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 in a bow
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work.
He filled every stocking,
Then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger beside 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,
'Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!'"
--- By Clement Clarke Moore, 1837.
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Hmmm... A few things in this poem might seem strange to modern readers. After all. it was written almost two hundred years ago!
First. no mice were stirring... Victorian houses were not built as snuggly as today's houses and with the lack of modern refrigeration, there may have been a few mice in the average home.
Probably, no one was very concerned about this, but maybe they need a cat.
The children's dreams of sugar plums... Sugar plums were a delicious candy, a sweet treat back then.
Ma in her kerchief and me in my cap... Homes were not centrally heated so bedrooms might have become quite cold as the fires in fireplaces dwindled during the night. So, people might have worn warm headgear to bed.
You'll notice Santa doesn't fly across the sky, immediately to the roof. He's out on the lawn first. Then, he and his reindeer fly up to the roof.
The man goes to the window to open it to see better. He throws open shutters, which were not a decoration back then. They were functional, to protect the windows from blizzards, sleet storms and from being broken by flying limbs of trees during storms. The sash was the window curtain. The man threw it over the curtain rod so he could see better.
The reindeer were tiny; the sleigh was miniature. When they got to the roof they were still miniature because the man heard the "prancing and pawing of each tiny hoof". Hmmm... Maybe that's how Santa gets down chimneys so easily. He's tiny. But, once he lands in the house he's normal size. Santa is MAGIC.
Santa comes down the chimney and goes up the chimney again. If the fire is going or the ashes are hot, they don't burn him. Santa is MAGIC.
Santa smokes; he smokes a pipe... Oh, well. this was before smoking was known to be so harmful. But, I doubt Santa's health would be harmed by smoking. He IS immortal and, --- MAGIC. 💥💥💥
Santa dressed all in fur... He is not wearing a red velvet suit trimmed with fur.
The down of a thistle... Thistles after the blossoms of them fade, produce a downy stuff, like fine cotton balls. Those who live in certain areas, and not in the country might not know this.
No, I didn't mention Rudolph. This was before Rudolph's time. 😁
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