Twas the night before Christmas.......

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the farm,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Great Pyrenees.
The stockings they knit were hung on the gates with great care,
In hopes that Sheep Nicholas soon would be there;
The sheep were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of fruit loops danced in their heads,
And Jim in his jammies, and I in mine too,
Had just settled in for a good night’s sleep-
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the barn I flew like a flash,
Tore open the doors, and turned on the lights.
The moon on the rest of our snow now turned mud,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a minature sleigh, and eight spitty llamas,
With a fluffy little driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Sheep Nick.
More rapid than eagles his llamas they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! Dalai, now! Max, now! Chaquita, and Doneghy,
”On! Obama, on! Radar, on! VanGogh and Sinbad;
"To the top of the gates! to the top of the barns!
"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
So up to the barn-top the llamas they flew,
With the sleigh full of fruit loops - and Sheep Nicholas too:
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the hay chute Sheep Nicholas came with a bound:
He was dressed all in wool, from his head to his hoof,
And his wool was all tarnished with ashes and soot;

(he should wear a coat like the rest of our sheep!)
A bundle of fruit loops was flung on his back,
And he looked like a sheep shearer just opening his pack:
His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
His cheeks were fuzzy, his nose oh so cute;
His sweet little mouth was drawn up in a smile,
And the beard of his chin was as white as a lambie,
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of fruit loops:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old sheep,
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, outside he did go.
He sprung to his sleigh, to his llamas gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of an alpaca:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight-
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

(PS- no more sheep jumpin’ on the BED!)

Merry Christmas from Jim, Sandy and the sheep