'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; 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 down in the pipes there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the bathroom I flew like a flash, Tore open the shower curtain and threw up the toilet seat. The gleam of the moon off the freshly cleaned porcelain Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects within, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a rubber dingy, and eight dastardly tuna, With a ragged old driver, so crooked and quick, I knew in a moment it must be Evil St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; "Now, Smelly! now, Chalupa! now, Pepsi and Crackhead! On, Hookworm! on Trashcan! on, Volvo and Wolf Blitzer! Up from the plumbing! to the top of the wall! Now swim away! swim away! swim away all!" As seaweed that before the crushing tsumani flood, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sewers, So down to the basement the coursers they swam, With the rubber dingy full of toys that Evil St. Nicholas stole. And then, in a slopping, I heard on the floor The flopping and spatting of each little tuna. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, Up from the toilet Evil St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in barnicles, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with floatsom and jetsam; A bundle of toys he had stolen from children, And he looked very homeless just opening his pack. His eyes -- how they blackened! his dimples how ugly! His cheeks were like roses, no doubt from his drinking! His droll little mouth was drawn down in a sneer, And the beard of his chin was as black as the ash; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a phantom; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he coughed like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right nasty old man And I wet myself 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 better be frightened; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And stole all the presents; and cursed out my cat, And laying his finger aside of his nose, Coughed up some phlegm, down the plumbing he sank; He sprang to his dingy, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all swam like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Thanks for nuttin' kids, next year i'm taking the cat!"
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