The Night before Ninjamas
'Twas the night before Ninjamas, when all through the Lair
Not a ninja was stirring, not even Hidan;
The headbands were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that The Hoclaus soon would be there;
The Akatsuki were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of mischief danced in their heads;
And Konan in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the yard there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the door I flew like a flash,
Tore it away and threw up my dinner.
The light on the shine of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of Twilight to objects below,
When, what to my Rennigan eyes should appear,
But a Giant Toad, and eight tiny Leaf Nin,
With a decrepit driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be the Hoclaus.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Ino! now, Couji! now, Sasuke and Hinata!
On, Neji! on Sakura! on, Rock Lee and Naruto!
To the top of the village! to over the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before Genjutsu fly,
When they meet with an Ninja, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Ramen, and the Hoclaus too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little Nin.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney the Hoclaus came with a bound.
He was dressed all in silk, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of golden items he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they burned! his hair how grey!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn taught like a bow,
And the beard of his jaw was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a lined face and a little skinny belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of flour.
He was scrawny and thin, a right 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 bingos to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the headbands; then turned with a crack,
And laying his hand in the small of his back,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he poofed;
He sprang to his toad, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like a clay eagle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Ninjamas to all, and to all a good-night."
(In reality, he said: Uza will kill you one day Gyo!)