Once on a time, in a queer little town,
On the shore of the Zuyder Zee,
When all the good people were fast asleep,
A strange thing happened to me.
Alone, the night before Christmas,
I sat by the glowing fire,
Watching the flame as it rose and fell,
While the sparks shot high and higher.
Suddenly one of these sparks began
To flicker and glimmer and wink
Like a big bright eye, till I hardly knew
What to do or to say or to think.
Quick as a flash, it changed to a face,
And what in the world did I see
But dear old Santa Claus nodding his head,
And waving his hand to me!
"Oh! follow me, follow me!" soft he cried,--
And up through the chimney with him
I mounted, not daring to utter a word
Till we stood on the chimney's rim.
"Now tell me, I beg you, dear Santa Claus,
Where am I going with you?"
He laughingly answered, "Why, don't you know?
To travel the whole world through!
"From my crystal palace, far in the North,
I have come since dark,--and see
These curious things for the little folk
Who live on the Zuyder Zee."
Then seating himself in his reindeer sledge,
And drawing me down by his side,
He whistled, and off on the wings of the wind
We flew for our midnight ride.
But first, such comical presents he left
For the little Dutch girls and boys,--
Onions and sausages, wooden-faced dolls,
Cheeses and gingerbread toys!
Away we hurried far to the South,
To the beautiful land of France;
And there we showered the loveliest gifts,--
Flaxen-haired dolls that could dance.
Soldiers that marched at the word of command,
Necklaces, bracelets and rings,
Tiny gold watches, all studded with gems,
And hundreds of exquisite things.
Crossing the Channel, we made a short call
In Scotland and Ireland, too;
Left a warm greeting for England and Wales,
Then over the ocean we flew
Straight to America, where by myself,
Perched on a chimney high,
I watched him scramble and bustle about
Between the earth and the sky.
Many a stocking he filled to the brim,
And numberless Christmas trees
Burst into bloom at his magical touch!
Then all of a sudden a breeze
Caught us and bore us away to the South,
And afterwards blew us "out West;"
And never till dawn peeped over the hills
Did we stop for a moment's rest.
"Christmas is coming!" he whispered to me,
"You can see his smile in the sky,--
I wish Merry Christmas to all the world!
My work is over,--good-bye!"
Like a flash he was gone, and I was alone,--
For all of this happened to me
Once on a time, in a queer little town
On the shore of the Zuyder Zee!