[B][SIZE=3][COLOR="#008000"]Twas the night before Catmas
When all through the house
Not a kitten was stirring
Nor chasing a mouse
The kitties were snuggled
And tucked in their beds,
While visions of cat goodies
Danced in their heads.
Their stockings were hung
By the chimney with care,
In hope that St. Kittyclaws
Soon would be there.
The kittens were nestled
All snug in their beds
While visions of catnip
Danced in their heads
Ma Tab with her whiskers
And I in my cap
Had just settled down
For a winter's cat nap
When outside the house
Came such noise and such strife,
So startled was I
That I used up a life!
I jumped to the window
And gave a small 'mew'
I perched in the moonlight
Enjoying the view
The sight of the snowdrifts
So cold and so white
Made me purrfectly glad
To be indoors tonight!
When, what to my wondering
Eyes did appear
But a feline sized sleigh
And eight tiny cat-deer
With a little old driver
So lively and fit
I knew in a moment
He must be St. Kit
So quickly they flew
And with such grace they came
Then Kittyclaws smiled
And mewed out their names:
"Now Felix! Now Patches!
Now, Mittens and Muffy!
On, Twinkle! On, Whiskers!
On, Tiger and Fluffy!"
As kittens will pounce
On a fat ball of string
Tails all a-tumbling,
Ready to spring
So up to the door frame
The felines all flew
With a sleight full of toys
And St. Kittyclaws too
And then in a twinkling
I heard by the door
The scratching and pawing
Of each little claw
As I drew in my head
And was turning around
Kittyclaws came
Through the door with a bound
He was dressed all in fur
From his head to his feet
And his whiskers were sprinkled
With flurries and sleet
A bundle of toys
He had flung on his back
And he looked lake a peddler
Just opening his pack
His eyes--
how they twinkled!
His whiskers--
so merry!
His tail was
so fluffy,
His nose like
a cherry!
His droll little mouth
Was drawn up like a bow
And the fur on 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 round little belly
That shook when he purred!
Like a bowl full of jelly
He was chubby and plump,
A right jolly old cat
And I laughed when I was him
Looking like that
A wink of his eye and
A flick of his tail;
I knew our stockings
Would bulge without fail;
He made not a sound;
He was silent and swift
Each of the kittens
Was given a gift
He washed his paws quickly,
And, twitching his nose,
He gave me a nod
Up the chimney he rose
He sprang to his sleigh,
And "meowed" to the team,
They all flew away
In the moonlight's
soft gleam
But I heard him meow
Ere he drove out of sight--
Happy Cat-mas to all
And to all a good night! [/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]