A little holiday fun from the writing vault … just a slight tweaking of a classic tale

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the malls
Every creature was stirring, even hollering calls;
The stores’ shelves were stocked high with care,
In hopes that customers soon would be there;
The perfect presents ran through the customers’ head,
While visions of out-of-stock items they did dread;
And Mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just rummaged through all the store’s crap,
When out of an aisle there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the shelf to see what was the matter.
Away to the aisle I flew like a flash,
Tore across the carpet and away I did dash.
Three large women stood in a row
Looking down at the objects on the floor below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature man with a scowl so fear,
With his arm outstretched his hand he did flick,
In a moment he chastised the women so quick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Donna! now, Debbie! now, Peggy and Vi!
On, Carol! on Connie! on Donald and Brye!
To the top of the shelves! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As the store keeper waved the women to fly,
When they saw his stern eye, run away they did try,
  So up on the shelves, the fallen toys did the workers flew,
With the shelves full of toys, and the aisle cleared too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard a poof
The prancing and pawing women walked off aloof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the aisle 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;
An empty sack 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;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled his bundle with the toys from the shelf; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up from the floor he rose;
He shuffled his feet and to me he gave a whistle,
And away he flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, turning down an aisle out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”