Happy Holidays To All

[alyeskakc]

Here's wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays.  May all your 
Christmases be Merry and hopefully white. ANd all wishes come true 
this holiday season.

Cheers,
Kristin


'Twas The Night Before Christmas with a Few Little Changes"

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through castle
Not a creature was stirring, not even a house elf
The stockings were hung by the chimneys with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of chocolate frogs danced in their heads;
And McGonagall in her 'kerchief, and Dumbledore in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Harry and Ron sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window they 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 their wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
They knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers 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, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the battlement! to the top of the tower!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the tower-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of goodies, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, they heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As they drew back their hands, and began turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of goodies 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;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And they laughed when they saw him, in spite of themselves;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave them to know they had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But they heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"