Twas the night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

The stockings were hung, by the chimney with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

The children were nestled, all snug in their beds

With no thought of the dog, filing their heads

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and me in my cap

Knew he was cold , didn’t care about that

When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter

I sprang from my bed, to see what was the matter

Away to the window, I flew like a flash

The dog might be free, and into the trash

The moon on the breast, of the new fallen snow

Gave a luster of noon, to the objects below

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear

But Santa Clause, with his eyes full of tears

He unchained the dog, once lively and quick

Last years gift -- thin, and painfully sick

More rapid than lightning, he called the dogs name

And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain.

"Now Dasher! Now Dancer! now Prancer! and Vixen!

On comet! on Cupid! on Donder! and Blitzen!

To the Top of the porch, to the top of the wall

Lets find a new home, where he will be loved by all

I knew in an instant,  no gifts would be near

For Santa had made, one thing quite clear

The gift of a dog, is not just for the season

We’d gotten a dog, for all the wrong reasons

In our haste to find, our kids a new gift

There was one basic thing, that we had missed

A dog should be family, and cared for the same

You don’t give a gift, then put it on a chain

And I heard him exclaim, as he rode out of sight

"You weren’t giving a gift, you were giving a life