'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore — Fireside Holiday Reading

Reading transcript. Advertising omitted; the original host introduction is retained. Obvious transcription spellings corrected against the published poem.

I know what you're thinking.
Where's the scary music?
Where's the fearful tone of voice?
Well, we're not going to go for scary just this one time.
And I promise you, I won't make a habit of it.
But the fact is, it's Christmas Eve, and you are probably tired.
You're probably excited, too.
But you're probably run ragged.
You work hard.
You had to do everything all week, and then your weekend was preparing for loved ones, family, friends, etc.
I know mine was very exhausting.
So what I wanted to do was share a little bit of holiday joy.
It's not long, not long at all.
And what I ask of you is stop whatever you're doing and spend the next four or so minutes
just enjoying my telling of Twas a Night Before Christmas
with Ray Mattis doing musical accompaniment.
It's fun, it's a little charming in my opinion,
and I just hope it helps you relax.
So enjoy that, Merry Christmas, and I'll see you guys next week.
Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
Twas the night before Christmas
When all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there
The children were nestled
All snug in their beds
While visions of sugar plums
Danced in their heads
And Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I sprang from the bed to see what's the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of midday to objects below
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer
With a little old driver, so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name.
Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen,
On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner 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 housetop 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 hand 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 looked like a peddler 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 bowl full 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 filled 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 and 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