 

                Cajun Night Before Christmas



'Twas the night before Christmas an' all t'ru de house Dey
don't a t'ing pass not even a mouse. De chirren been nezzle
good snug on de flo' and Mama pass de pepper T'ru de crack on
de do'.

Den Mama in de fireplace done roas' up de ham Stir up de
gumbo an' make bake de yam. Den out on de by-you dey go such
a clatter make soun' like old Boudereau done fall off his
ladder.

I run like a rabbit to got to de do' trip over de dorg an'
fall on de flo'! As I look out de do' in de light o' de moon
I t'ink "Manh, you crazy or got ol' too soon."

Cuz dere on de by-you W'en I stretch ma' neck stiff dere's
eight alligator a pullin' de skiff. An' a little fat drover
wit' a long pole-ing stick I know r'at away Got to be ole St.
Nick.

Mo' fas'er an' fas'er de 'gator dey came he whistle an' holler
an' call dem by name: "Ha, Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre an'
Alcee! Gee, Ninette! Gee, Suzette! Celeste an' Renee!"

"To de top o' de porch To de top o' de wall Make crawl,
alligator, An' be sho' you don' fall." Like Tante Flo's cat
T'ru de treetop he fly W'en de big ole houn' dorg Come a run
hisse'f by Like dat up de porch dem ole 'gator clim! Wit' de
skiff fill o' toy an' St. Nicklus behin'. Den on top de porch
roof, It soun' like de hail. W'en all dem big 'gator done down
dey tail.

Den down de chimmney I yell wit' a bam. An' Sr. Nicklus fall an'
sit on de yam. "Sacre!",he exclaim,"Ma pant got a hole, I done
sot ma'se'f on dem red hot coal."

He got on his foots an' jump like a cat. Out to de flo' Where he
lan' wit' a SPLAT! He was dress in musk-rat. From his head to his
foot. An' his clothes is all dirty, wit' ashes an' soot. A sack
full o' playt'ing He t'row on his back. He look like a burglar, An'
dass fo' a fack.  His eyes how dey shine His dimple, how merry! Maybe
he been drink de wine from blackberry.  His cheek was like rose, His
nose like a cherry on secon' t'ought maybe he lap up de sherry.

Wit' snow-white chin whisker an' quiverin' belly. He shook w'en he
laugh like de stromberry jelly! But a wink in his eye an' a shook o'
his head make my confi-dence dat I don' go to be scared.

He don' do no talkin', gone straight to his work. Put playt'ing in
sock An' den turn wit' a jerk. He put bot' his ban'. Dere on top o'
his head Cas' an eye on de chimney, An' den he done said: "wit' all
o' dat fire an' dem burnin' hot flame, Me I ain' goin' back by de
way dat I came."

So he run out de do' an' he clim' to de roof. He ain' no fool, him
for to make one more goof. He jump in his skiff an' crack his big whip.
De 'gator move down an' don' make one slip. An' I hear him shout loud
as a splashin' he go "Merry Christmas to all 'Til I saw you some mo'!"
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