Night Before Christmas

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'Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch

[/align][/align]The pond was froze over & so was the branch.

[/align][/align]The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.

[/align][/align]The kids were all home on vacation from school,

[/align][/align]And happier young folks you never did see-

[/align][/align]Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.

[/align][/align]Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock,

[/align][/align]There came a surprise that gave them a shock!

[/align][/align]The power went off, the TV went dead!

[/align][/align]When Grandpa came in from out in the shed

[/align][/align]With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.

[/align][/align]"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.

[/align][/align]"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.

[/align][/align]Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."

[/align][/align]"I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom. "With their light,

[/align][/align]And the fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."

[/align][/align]The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.

[/align][/align]Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,

[/align][/align]Uncased his old fiddle & started to play

[/align][/align]That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.

[/align][/align]Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew

[/align][/align]Both Pop & the kids were all singing it, too.

[/align][/align]They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"

[/align][/align]Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.

[/align][/align]They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,

[/align][/align]And Pop read a passage from God's Book of Truth.

[/align][/align]They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,

[/align][/align]The youngsters agreed 'twas a fine Christmas Eve.

[/align][/align]Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;

[/align][/align]And when the kids wakened, the power was on.

[/align][/align]"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"

[/align][/align]Said Grandpa - & no one suspected his trick.

[/align][/align]Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,

[/align][/align]He had pulled the main switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!

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[/align][/align]-anonymous

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