Account of a Visit From St. Nicholas

Brought to you by the website of Henry Livingston, the author of A Visit From St. Nicholas

Navigate

1	'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house,
2	Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
3	The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
4	In hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
5	The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
6	While visions of sugar plumbs danc'd in their heads,
7	And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
8	Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.....
9	When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
10	I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter;
11	Away to the window I flew like a flash,
12	Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash,
13	The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
14	Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
15	When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
16	But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
17	With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
18	I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
19	More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
20	And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
21	"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and vixen,
22	"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixen;
23	"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
24	"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
25	As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
26	When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
27	So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
28	With the sleigh full of Toys.....and St. Nicholas too:
29	And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
30	The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
31	As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
32	Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
33	He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
34	And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot:
35	A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
36	And he look'd like a pedlar just opening his pack:
37	His eyes.....how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
38	His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
39	His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
40	And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
41	The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
42	And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
43	He had a broad face, and a little round belly
44	That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
45	He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
46	And I laugh'd when I saw him, in spite of myself;
47	A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
48	Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
49	He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
50	And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
51	And laying his finger aside of his nose
52	And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
53	He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
54	And away they all flew like the down of a thistle;
55	But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight.....
56	Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Comparisons Between 1825 McClure's Almanack and Troy 1823

Jump to Significant Differences

McClure has identical contractions and words not contracted. Which probably means it comes from the 1823 Troy source.

McClure replaces dashes with multiple periods.

McClure is more comfortable with changing spelling: sugar plumbs => sugar plumbs, Blixem => Blixen, peddler => pedlar, jirk => jerk.

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES

04	McClure 1825: In hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there; Troy 1823: In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
.
07	McClure 1825: And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Troy 1823: And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
.
21	McClure 1825: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and vixen, Troy 1823: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,
.
22	McClure 1825: "On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixen; Troy 1823: "On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;
.
36	McClure 1825: And he looked like a pedlar just opening his pack: Troy 1823: And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:
.
50	McClure 1825: And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk, Troy 1823: And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jirk,

NAVIGATION

Arguments, Quest to Prove Authorship, Scholars, Witness Letters, Early Variants, Sources, Publicity,
First Publication, Timeline Summary, Smoking Gun?, Clement Clark Moore's Poetry, Fiction, Letters from You

Xmas, Games, The Man, Writing, History, The Work, Illustrations, Music, Genealogy, Biographies, Locust Grove

Henry's Home

Mary's Home