Twas the Night Before Christmas
By Barnaby Chinchilla
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the villa
Not a creature was stirring, except two chinchillas
Worn chew toys were hung in our cage with great thought,
In hopes that we'd spend the night gnawing a lot
The humans were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of human stuff danced in their heads.
And Hugo on his lava ledge, and I on the floor
Had just used our paws to pry open the door!
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from the cage to see what was the matter.
Away to the window we flew like a flash,
Squeezed under the shutters and chewed through the sash!
The sight of the snow drifts so deep and so wide
Made us happy to be pet chinchillas inside
When, what should our little eyes see in the sky,
But a miniature sleigh pulled by things that could fly.
In the sleigh was a human, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than roombas his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Smooshie! now, Rhino! now, Gizmo and Tinker!
On, Jonesie! On, ChinChin! on Snowball and Stinker!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As soft tufts of fur from a fleeing chin fly
As he meets with an obstacle, surfs to the sky.
So up to the house-top the flying things 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 fluffed up my tail, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fleece from his head to his foot
And a valley of dust couldn't cleanse him of soot
A bundle of toys he'd flung over his tail
And he looked like a mail man delivering the mail.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like rose hips, his nose; goji berries!
Mouth draped like a hammock, no frowning allowed,
And the beard of his chin was as white as blue cloud.
He scooped up poor Hugo who chattered his teeth,
Kacking kack kack kack noises in mad disbelief
Santa stroked his chin face and his little soft belly,
And in Santa's arms Hugo melted like jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed as he caught me, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a scritch on my head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, as our cage door he locked
Hung up countless new chew toys, left the humans a box.
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 gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like poos sucked up a Bissell!
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
By Barnaby Chinchilla
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the villa
Not a creature was stirring, except two chinchillas
Worn chew toys were hung in our cage with great thought,
In hopes that we'd spend the night gnawing a lot
The humans were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of human stuff danced in their heads.
And Hugo on his lava ledge, and I on the floor
Had just used our paws to pry open the door!
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from the cage to see what was the matter.
Away to the window we flew like a flash,
Squeezed under the shutters and chewed through the sash!
The sight of the snow drifts so deep and so wide
Made us happy to be pet chinchillas inside
When, what should our little eyes see in the sky,
But a miniature sleigh pulled by things that could fly.
In the sleigh was a human, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than roombas his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Smooshie! now, Rhino! now, Gizmo and Tinker!
On, Jonesie! On, ChinChin! on Snowball and Stinker!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As soft tufts of fur from a fleeing chin fly
As he meets with an obstacle, surfs to the sky.
So up to the house-top the flying things 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 fluffed up my tail, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fleece from his head to his foot
And a valley of dust couldn't cleanse him of soot
A bundle of toys he'd flung over his tail
And he looked like a mail man delivering the mail.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like rose hips, his nose; goji berries!
Mouth draped like a hammock, no frowning allowed,
And the beard of his chin was as white as blue cloud.
He scooped up poor Hugo who chattered his teeth,
Kacking kack kack kack noises in mad disbelief
Santa stroked his chin face and his little soft belly,
And in Santa's arms Hugo melted like jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed as he caught me, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a scritch on my head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, as our cage door he locked
Hung up countless new chew toys, left the humans a box.
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 gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like poos sucked up a Bissell!
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
