Every nation around the world liked Christmas a lot.
But one nation, Russia, who lived very north in the world DID NOT.
Russia hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Please don't ask why. No nation quite knows the reason.
It could be that his younger sister chased him with mistletoe all night.
It could be, perhaps, that his scarf was tied just a little too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
Was that his older sister was gone, causing his heart to be two sizes too small.
But whatever the reason the scarf or mistletoe
He stood there on Christmas eve hating the Christmas glow
Staring down at Nation Village with a sour, Rushy frown
At the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Nation down in Nation Village beneath
Was busy now, hanging a Christmasy wreath.
"And their hanging their stockings!" he kol'd with a sneer.
"Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"
Then he growled, with his Russian fingers nervously druming,
"I must find a way to keep Christmas from coming!"
For tomorrow, he knew...
All the Nations, girls and boys
Would wake up bright and early. They'd rush for their stuff!
And then! Oh, the noise! The noise was enough,
To cause the Russian to walk about in a huff.
Then the Nations, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
And the feast cause Russia to become such a beast
Cause they would feast on flan, and on rare roast beef
which was something the Russian couldn't stand in the least!
And then they'd do something he liked least of all!
Every Nation down in Nation village the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing.
They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Nations would start singing!
They'd sing! And they'd sing! It always caused his whole head to sting!
And the more the Russian thought of the Nation Christmas-Sing
The more the Russian thought, "I must stop this whole thing!
"Why for hundreds years I've put up with it now!
I must stop Christmas from coming! ...But how?"
Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
THE RUSSIA GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
"I know just what to do!" The Russian laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Santa Claus hat and a coat.
And he smiled, and giggled, and said with a cute Russian grin
"With this coat and this hat, I'll look just like Finland!"
"All I need is a reindeer..." Russia looked about.
He smiled cruelly and being truly a lout
Russia simply said, "I don't need a reindeer, I'll make one instead!"
So he called his servant Latvia, who he made dress like a dog. Then he took some red thread
And he tied a big horn on top of his head.
Then He loaded some bags
And a bunch of empty sacks
On a ramshakle sleigh
And tied up the small nation by his slacks
Then Russia yelled, "Go" in that language of his
Latvia started running And the sleigh started down
Toward the homes where the Nations lay asleep in their town.
All their windows were dark. Snow was on the ground.
All the Nations were all dreaming sweet dreams without a sound.
When he stopped at the first house he came 'round
"This is stop number one," The old Rushy Claus hissed
And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight squeeze.
But if Finland could do it, then so could he.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or two.
Then he stuck his head out past the fireplace mantle
Where the Nation's stockings all hung in a row.
"These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things I'll handle!"
Then he tip-toed and crawled, with a smile most unpleasant,
Around the whole room, and he took every present!
Flowers! And drawings! Roller skates! Cloth!
Figurines! Sketchpads! Candy! And broth!
And he stuffed them in bags. Then Russia, very quickly,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!
Then he slipped to the fridge. He took the whole feast!
He took the nation's flan! He took the roast beef!
He cleaned out that fridge as quick as a flash.
Why, he even took the scraps from their trash!
Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.
"And now!" grinned Russia, "I will stuff up the tree!"
And the Russian grabbed the tree, and he started to push
When he heard a small sound, no louder than a hush.
He whirled around fast, and he saw a young girl!
Little Liechtenstein, who was still a small pearl.
Russia had been caught by this girl dressed in pink,
Who'd gotten out of bed for something to drink.
She stared at Russia, sleep filling her eyes,
And said, "Santy Claus, why, why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?"
But, you know, Russia was so smart and so slick
He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick!
"Why, you cute little girl," the fake Finland lied, "There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side.
"So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear.
"I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here."
And his fib fooled the girl. Then he patted her head.
And he got her some water and he sent he to bed.
And when Liechtenstein went to bed with her cup,
He went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up!
Then the last thing he took was the log for their fire.
Then he climbed up the chimney, slowly getting higher.
And on their walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire.
And the one speck of food that he left in the house
Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.
Then he did the same thing to the other nations homes
Going over everything with a fine-toothed combs.
The sun was beginning to rise
All the nations still in bed
All the nations still sleeping
When he packed up his sled. Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
And up he began creeping.
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit,
He rode to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-pooh all you nations!" he was happily humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"The all the nations down in nation village will all cry BOO-HOO!"
"That's a noise," grinned Russia "That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Russian put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started out soft. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it was merry!
Very!
He stared down at Nation villiage!
Russia popped openhis eyes! T
hen he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every nation down in nation village, the tall and the small,
Were standing around singing! Without any presents at all!
He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And Russia, with his feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling:
"How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
And what happened then? Well, in Nation village they say
His older sister climbed to top of the mountain that day!
He stared at her as she smiled at him.
And she took a hand and placed it under his chin.
"You've been very bad, brother," Ukraine said.
"It isn't right and you must fix it," she pulled at the sled.
But Russia was just happy his sister did appear
And inside his old heart had begun to cheer.
"And then," all the nations will tell
"Ol' Russia heart had begun to swell!
"Three sizes, in fact!" or so goes the tale.
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He took his sister and whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he,
HE HIMSELF! Russia carved the roast beef!