Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,

All the creatures were stirring, even “Squeakers” the mouse.

The stockings were hung on the hanging lamp’s chain,

With hope they would be bulging after Santa Claus came.

The Children were all hidden deep in their beds,

Laughing and giggling and hiding their heads.

Dad in his shorts and Mom in her nightgown,

Were asleep, exhausted, from shopping in town.

When out in the garage there rose such a clatter,

They all sprang from their beds to see what was the matter.

They ran out of the bedrooms and into the hall.

They tripped over toys and ran into the wall.

When they got to the garage, dogs had pushed open the door,

And scattered the trash all over the floor.

So they cleaned up the mess and picked up the trash,

And put all of kids back to bed in a flash.

Dad and Mom locked up the dogs and turned out the light.

They went back to bed and said, “Good Night!”

They were almost asleep when to their surprise,

They were awakened by three loud little cries.

“Is it time to get up?”  “Has Santa come yet?”

“Has he filled all the stockings?”  “Has he brought my new jet?”

“Go back to sleep!”  Dad and Mom said with a groan.

“We’re tired, we’re sleepy, please leave us alone!”

Then it was quiet, they fell fast asleep.

Their dreams were of debt piled ten feet deep.

But soon they awoke, they felt something was wrong.

They checked on the children.  Oh, No!  They were gone!

Dad and Mom started to panic, they looked all around!

The kids all disappeared without even a sound.

They looked inside and out, they looked up and down.

But not “hide-nor-hair” of the kids could be found.

“Look,” said Dad, “Look under the tree!

All the presents are gone, except the ones for you and me!”

Then they started to add two and two.

“I know where they are, how about you?”

They snuck to the kid’s room and opened the closet door.

The children were all huddled there on the closet floor.

The presents were unwrapped, the paper was tattered.

When they saw Dad and Mom, the children all scattered.

They ran out of the closet and jumped in their beds.

They pulled up the sheets and covered their heads.

“We’re sorry we did it,” they all fearfully cried.

“We won’t do it again!”  Dad and Mom knew they lied.

But now it was Christmas, time to forgive.

Dad and Mom got them all up, and then let them live.

They emptied the stockings, and with a loving tear,

Wished each a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

By Jenny (Hood) Keene and

Marsha K. Hood