'Twas the night before Christmas
An' all t'ru de house
Dey don't a t'ing pass
Not even a mouse.
De chirron 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 by-you
Dey got such a clatter
Make soun' like old Boudreau
Done fall off his ladder.
I run like a rabbit
To got to de do',
Trip over de dorg
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 by-you
When I stretch ma' neck stiff,
Dere's eight alligator
A pullin' a 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' calll dem by name:
"Ha, Gaston!
Ha, Tiboy!
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' dorg
Come a run hisse'f by,
Like dat up de porch
Dem ole 'gator clim!
Wit' de skiff full o' toy
St. Nicklus rah' 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 down on de yam.
"Sacre!" 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 looked 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.
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 straight to his work,
Put playt'ing in 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 way dat I came."
So he run out de do'
An' he clim' to de roof,
He ain' 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'!"
Cajun Night Before Christmas
The book, Cajun Night Before Christmas, wonderfully
illustrated by James Rice, can be purchased at Pelican
Publishing, along with many other kinds of "Night
Before Christmas" books.
Music:  Jolie Blon

Nancy's Holiday Pages Index

Christmas in Old New Orleans

Whispers-Home

Old New Orleans

Friday's Journal
Joyeux Noel et meilleurs voeux pour le Novel An!
(Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!)
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