那是圣诞节的前一夜，整座房子里没有一点动静，连一只老鼠也没有;袜子被小心地挂在烟囱旁，希望圣尼古拉斯很快就会来;孩子们都舒舒服服地躺在床上，糖李子的景象在他们的脑海里跳跃;妈妈裹着头巾，我戴着帽子，我们正准备打个漫长的冬觉;当外面草坪上响起这样的喧闹声时，我从床上跳了起来，想看看发生了什么事。我像闪电一样飞到窗前，扯开百叶窗，扬起窗扇。月亮挂在新下的雪的胸前，给下面的物体带来了正午的光辉，当我惊奇的目光出现的时候，除了一辆小型雪橇和八只小驯鹿，还有一个小老车夫，那么活泼，那么敏捷，我立刻知道那一定是圣尼克。他的骏马比鹰还快，他吹口哨，大声呼喊，呼唤他们的名字;“现在,气宇轩昂的男子!现在,舞者! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! 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 house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas 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. 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 Toys he had flung on his back, And he look'd like a pedlar 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 bowlfull of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; 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 fill'd 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 I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."