'Twas the night befo' Christmas
An' all t'ru de house,
Dey don't a t'ing pass
Not even a mouse.De chirren been nezzle
Good snug on de flo'
An' Mama pass de pepper
T'ru de crack on de do'.
Den Mama in de fireplace
Done roas' up de ham
Stir up de gumbo
An' make bake de yam.
Den out on de bayou
Dey got such a clatter
Make soun' like old Boudreaux
Done fell off his ladder.
I run like a rabbit
To got to de do'
Trip over de houn'
An' fall on de flo'!
As I look out de do'
In de light o' de moon
I t'ink "Manh, you crazy
Or got ol' too soon."
Cuz dere on de bayou
W'en I stretch ma' neck stiff
Dere's eight alligator
A pullin' de skiff.
An' a little fat drover
Wit' a long pole-ing stick
I know r'at away
Got to be ole St. Nick.
Mo' fas'er an' fas'er
De 'gator dey came
He whistle an' holler
An' call dem by name!
"Ha, Gaston! Ha, Ti-boy!
Ha, Pierre an' Alcee!
Gee, Ninette! Gee, Suzette!
Celeste an' Renee!"
"To de top o' de porch
To de top o' de wall
Make crawl, alligator,
An' be sho' you don' fall."
Like Tante Flo's cat
T'ru de treetop he fly
W'en de big ole houn' dog
Come a run hisse'f by.
Like dat up de porch
Dem ole 'gator clim!
Wit' de skiff full o' toy
An' St. Nicklus behin'.
Den on top de porch roof
It soun' like de hail
W'en all dem big 'gator
Done sot down dey tail.
Den down de chimney
I yell wit' a bam
An' St. Nicklus fall
An' sit on de yam.
"Sacre Bleu!" he axclaim
"Ma pant got a hole.
I done sot ma'se'f
On dem red hot coal."
He got on his foots
An' jump like a cat
Out to de flo'
Where he lan' wit' a splat!
He was dress in musk-rat
From his head to his foot.
An' his clothes is all dirty
Wit' ashes an' soot.
A sack full o' playt'ing
He t'row on his back,
He look like a burglar
An' dass fo' a fack.
His eyes how dey shine
His dimple, how merry!
Maybe he been drink
De wine from blackberry.
His cheek was like rose
His nose like a cherry,
On secon' t'ought maybe
He lap up de sherry.
Wit' snow-white chin whisker
An' quiverin' belly,
He shook w'en he laugh
Like de stromberry jelly!
But a wink in his eye
An' a shook o' his head,
Make my confi-dence dat
I don' got to be scared.
He don' do no talkin'
Gone strait to his work,
Put playt'ing in da sock,
An' den turn wit' a jerk.
He put bot' his han'
Dere on top o' his head,
Cas' an eye on de chimney
An' den he done said...
"Wit' all o' dat fire
An' dem burnin' hot flame,
Me, I ain' goin' back
By de same way dat I came."
So he run out de do'
An' he clim' to de roof,
He ain't no fool, him,
For to make one more goof.
He jump in his skiff,
An' crack his big whip.
De 'gator move down
An' don' make one slip.
An' I hear him shout loud,
As a splashin' he go,
"Merry Christmas to all,
'Til I saw you some mo'!"
