***I do not own "Twas the Night Before Christmas"***
***This is part of the Veritas, Deck the Halls Challenge ****
Twas the night before Christmas, of the year 2016
Christmas Eve, 2016
"Its almost time," Christopher told his children.
Still in their pajamas they rushed outside to see
their uncle Nick pass overhead.
High above in the sky, a bright red beacon blinked on
and off. Soon shooting stars appeared falling all
around them.
They were tiny metal packages, made to withstand the heat of re-entry. Each of his kids gathered the present with their name on it and took it inside.
Chris and his wife looked up at the red light as it raced to the edge of the horizon, continuing on its journey.
From the porch, the children whined, "Come on Dad, tell us the story. Please, tell us the story."
"All right," he said, taking a small stool and sat by the fire. The kids all got inside their sleeping bags and looked at him intently.
"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
All the children were yearning, squeaking like a mouse.
The snow started falling, but the kid's didn't care,
They waited in their pajamas, for their presents to appear.
High up above, a red light was blinking,
then presents fell like meteors streaking.
Gently the fell, to the cold ground,
Their beacons unlit, their destination found.
The children gathered their presents with cheer,
And rushed inside for my warm tale to hear.
When we were both children, my brother and I,
My brother, Nicholas, had his eyes in the sky.
He told me he found a way to make it all real,
I wasn't sure, so we both made a deal.
He took a ship to the Pole, and packed it in ice,
sent letters to parents, and sure his nieces were nice.
In the ship he gather'd apprentices to learn,
to build the toys and money to earn.
They built him a Rocket, instead of reindeer to fly,
and prayed to the saints that he did not die.
He went round the world in no time flat,
In less than a night, he saw every Lat.
Behind him he carried all the toys,
For the good little girls and boys.
At just the right time, he would let them drop,
not having to go to every chimney-top.
You saw your gifts fall to your feet,
Presents of toys and good things to eat.
As I promised my brother, this tale I do tell
When winter arrives and we hear the christmas bell."
He finished the long story, and looked at his three
kids, all of them asleep.
Chris knew that their dreams were of their uncle
Nicholas, the real Santa Claus.
Chris and his wife stood on the porch watching the snow fall. The
blinking red beacon of his brother's ship circled once, twice. They did not wait for a third.
It was time to call it a night. It was starting to get late.
Chris checked that the children were nestled snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
His wife in her nightgown, and I in my cap,
They were just about ready for a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Chris sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, his brother, the rocketeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
He knew in a moment it was my brother Nick.
More rapid than eagles his boosters they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
(He actually names the Rockets? Chris thought)
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling in my yard full of snow,
The light from the boosters casting a beautiful glow.
(He better not be messing up my yard, Chris thought)
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the from the capsule, St. Nicholas came with a bound.
Nick was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were not tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
Nick walked to Chris an gave his brother a big hug.
"It's been a long time, Chris." he said.
"I've seen you've been putting on a little weight."
Nick laughed, his belly shaking like a bowlful of jelly!
Nick reached into the sack and pulled out a pack.
Chris smiled. "Is it what I think it is?"
He tore at the wrapping while his brother gave his wife a gift.
It was. The complete series of Percy Jackson Books, all the way from THE LIGHTNING THIEF to the last book of the HEROES OF OLYMPUS series.
"Thanks, bro." he said.
Nick smiled." Sorry I couldn't meet the kids. Maybe I come by in a few months if the guys are busy up north. Shoul get going."
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"