by A. A. Milne
* * *
Dorothy gave a little scream as the coach went over, and then held her breath; but instead of sousing into the water as she expected, she came down on top of it with a hard bump, and, very much to her astonishment, found herself sitting up on a carpeted floor. For a moment the rat-trap, with Bob Scarlet inside of it, seemed to be floating around in the air like a wire balloon, and then, as she rubbed her eyes and looked again, it slowly changed into a bird-cage with a fat robin sitting in it on a perch, and peering sharply at her sideways with one of his bright little eyes; and she found she was sitting on the floor of the little parlor of the Blue Admiral Inn, with her little rocking-chair overturned beside her and the cushion firmly clutched in her hand. The coach, and the dancing animals, and the Ferryman and his storks had all disappeared, which was a very fortunate thing, as there wasn’t room for them in the parlor; and as for the roaring sound in the air—why, Uncle Porticle was fast asleep in his big arm-chair, with his handkerchief spread over his face, and I think it more than likely that he had something to do with the sound.
* * *
Dorothy stared about for a moment, and then, suddenly remembering the Caravan, she jumped up and ran to the window. It was snowing hard, and she saw through the driving snowflakes that the Highlander and Sir Walter Rosettes were standing on their pedestals, complacently watching the people hurrying by with their Christmas parcels; and as for the Admiral, he was standing on his pedestal, with a little pile of snow like a sugar-loaf on top of his hat, and intently gazing across the street through his spy-glass.
All Through the Night (Christmas Carol)
All Through the Night
Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping
Hill and vale in slumber steeping,
I my loving vigil keeping
All through the night.
* * *
While the moon her watch is keeping
All through the night
While the weary world is sleeping
All through the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
All through the night.
* * *
[Alternate second verse]
* * *
Angels watching ever round thee
All through the night
In thy slumbers close surround thee
All through the night
They will of all fears disarm thee,
No forebodings should alarm thee,
They will let no peril harm thee
All through the night.
Angels We Have Heard on High (Christmas Carol)
Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plain
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
* * *
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
* * *
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be?
Which inspire your heavenly songs?
* * *
Gloria
* * *
Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.
* * *
Gloria
* * *
See Him in a manger laid,
Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior's birth.
* * *
Gloria
Away in the Manger (Christmas Carol)
Away in the Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
* * *
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
* * *
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with thee there.
Carol of the Bells (Christmas Carol)
Carol of the Bells
Hark how the bells,
Sweet silver bells,
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away!"
* * *
Christmas is here,
Bringing good cheer,
To young and old,
Meek and the bold.
* * *
Ding dong ding dong
That is their song
With joyful ring
All caroling.
* * *
One seems to hear
Words of good cheer
From ev'rywhere
Filling the air.
* * *
O, how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale.
* * *
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here.
* * *
Merry, Merry, Merry,
Merry Christmas!
Merry, Merry, Merry,
Merry Christmas!
* * *
Onward they send,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home:
* * *
Hark! How the bells,
Sweet silver bells,
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away!"
* * *
Christmas is here,
Bringing good cheer,
To young and old,
Meek and the bold.
* * *
Ding-dong, ding-dong!
That is their song
With joyful ring,
All caroling.
* * *
One seems to hear,
Words of good cheer,
From ev'rywhere,
Filling the air.
* * *
O how they pound,
Raising the sound,
O'er hill and dale,
Telling their tale.
* * *
Gaily they ring
While people sing
Songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here!
* * *
Merry, Merry, Merry,
Merry Christmas!
Merry, Merry, Merry,
Merry Christmas!
* * *
Onward they send,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To ev'ry home.
Deck the Halls (Christmas Carol)
Deck the Halls
Deck the hall with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
'Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel
Troll the ancient Christmas carol,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
See the blazing yule before us,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
While I tell of Christmas treasure,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Sing we joyous all together,
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen (Christmas Carol)
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
God rest ye, merry gentlemen; let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas-day.
The dawn rose red o’er Bethlehem, the stars shone through the gray,
When Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas-day.
God rest ye, little children; let nothing you affright,
For Jesus Christ, your Saviour, was born this happy night;
Along the hills of Galilee the white flocks sleeping lay,
When Christ, the child of Nazareth, was born on Christmas-day.
God rest ye, all good Christians; upon this blessed morn
The Lord of all good Christians was of a woman born:
Now all your sorrows He doth heal, your sins He takes away;
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas-day.
Good King Wenceslas (Christmas Carol)
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.
* * *
"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."
* * *
"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I shall see him dine, when we bear them thither. "
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.
* * *
"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."
* * *
In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.
Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Christmas Carol)
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
* * *
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
* * *
Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
* * *
Hark! The herald-angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King"
* * *
Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
* * *
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the new-born king"
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Christmas Carol)
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
* * *
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
* * *
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
* * *
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
* * *
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
Longfellow's original lyrics have been adapted and
set to music by a broad array of musicians including
Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jimmie Rogers, and of course,
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
* * *
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
* * *
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
* * *
And with the sound
The carols drowned
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
* * *
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
* * *
And made forlorn
The households born
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
* * *
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
* * *
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
* * *
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
* * *
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
* * *
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
* * *
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Christmas Carol)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
* * *
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever o'er its babel sounds
The blessèd angels sing.
* * *
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
* * *
And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps
and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!
* * *
