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"Twas de night befo' Christmas, and all t'ru de house,
Dey don't a t'ing pass, not even a mouse.
De chirren been nezzle good an' snug on de flo', and Maman pass de pepper t'ru de crack on de do'.
Den Maman in de fireplace done roas' up de ham,
stir up de gumbo and make bake de yam.
Den out on de by by-you, dey got such a clatter,
Make soun' like old Boudreau done fall of his ladder.
I run like a rabbit to get to de do', trip ovah de dorg, and fall on de flo'!
As I look out de do' in de light o' de moon,
I t'ink 'Mahn, you CRAZY, or got ol' too soon.'
Cuz dere on de by-you w'en I stretch ma' neck stiff,
dere's eight alligator a pullin' a skiff!
An' a little fat drover wit' a long pole-ing stick,
I knowed r'at away got to be ol' St. Nick.
Mo' fas'er an' fas'er de 'gator dey came,
he whistle and holler an' call dem by name:
'Ha, Gaston!
Ha, Tiboy!
Ha, Pierre an' Alcee!
Gee, Ninette!
Gee, Suzette!
Gee, Celeste an' Renee!
To de top o' de porch, to de top o' de wall,
make crawl, alligator, an' be sho' you don' fall!'
Like Tante Flo's cat, t'ru de treetop he fly,
w'en de big ol' houn' dorg come a run hisse'f by.
Like DAT up de porch dem ol' gator clim',
wit' de skiff full o' toy, an' St. Nicklus behin'.
Den on top o' de porch roof, it soun' like de hail,
w'en all dem big gator done sot down dey tail.
Den down de chimley, I yell wit' a BAM,
an' St. Nicklus fall in, and sit on de yam!
'Sacre!' he axclaim, 'ma pant got a hole,
I done sot ma'se'f on dem red hot coal!'
He got on his foots, an' jump like a cat,
out to de flo', where he lan' wit' a SPLAT!
He was dress' in musk-rat from his head to his foot,
an' his clothes is all dirty wit' ashes an' soot;
a sack full o' playt'ing he t'row on his back,
he look like a burglar, an' dass fo' a fack!
His eyes how dey shine, his dimple, how merry!
Maybe he been drink de wine from blackberry?
His cheek was like rose, his nose like a cherry,
on secon' t'ought, maybe he lap up de sherry!
Wit' snow-white chin-whisker' an' quiverin' belly,
he shook when he laugh like de stromberry jelly!
But a wink o' his eye an' a shook o' his head,
make my confi-dence dat I don't got to be scared.
He don' do no talkin' but gone straight to his work,
puttin' playt'ing in de socks, and den' he turn wit' a jerk.
He put bot' his han' dere on top o' his head,
cas' an eye on de chimley, an' den he done said:
'Wit' all o' dat fire an' dem burnin' hot flame,
ain' no WAY I go back by de way dat I came!'
So he run out de do', and he clim' to de roof,
he ain' no fool, him, for to make one mo' goof.
He jump in his skiff, and he crack his big whip,
de gator move down and dey don' make one slip.
An' I hear him shout loud, as a'splashin' he go,
'Merry Christmas to all, 'til I saw you some mo'!'
Merry Christmas, all! :)
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