'Twas the night before Clopmas, when all through the farm
Not a clop was stirring, not even a worm;
The cloppings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Cloppolas soon would be there;
The foals were nestled all snug in their stalls;
While visions of sugar cubes danced in their skulls;
And dam in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the farm there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my stall to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the barn doors and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and prompt,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Clop.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he neighed, and whinnied, and called them by name:
"Now, Clopper! now, Clopper! now Clopper and Cloppen!
On, Clopet! on, Clopid! on, Clopper and Cloppen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the barntop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of clops, and St. Cloppolas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Cloppolas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his saddle was all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of clops he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pony 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 mane on his neck 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 bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old clop,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of clop;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the cloppings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his hoof 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 I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Clopmas to all, and to all a good night!”