TWAS THE NIGHTS BEFORE HALLOWEEN STORY-1 SPOOKY-TALES

PART 1

(ENJOY!)

ONCE UPON A TIME, TWAS THE NIGHTS BEFORE HALLOWEEN, AND, ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE, NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING UP, NOT EVEN A MOUSE! THE PUMPKIN-BUCKETS WERE HUNG UP ON THE RED CHIMNEY WITH CARE, IN HOPES THAT THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN WOULD SHOW UP AND BE THERE! THE CHILDREN WERE ALL NESTLED UP, AND, ALL ASLEEP IN THEIR BEDS! WHILE VISIONS OF CANDY AND SUGAR PLUMS DANCED AROUND IN THEIR HEADS! AND, MOMMY IN HER KERCHIEF, AND, I IN MY CAP, HAD JUST SETTLED OUR MINDS DOWN, FOR ANOTHER LONG FALL'S NAP! WHEN OUT ON THE BACKYARD, THERE CAME SUCH A CLATTERY-NOISE, AND, I SPRANG FROM MY BED, NEARLY WAKING UP THE KIDS AND SPREADING OUT THE TOYS, AND, TO GO UP TO SEE ON WHAT WAS THE MATTER! AWAY TO THE WINDOWS, I FLEW UP IN A FLASH, TORN OPENED THE SHUTTERS AND THREW UP THE SASHES! THE MOON ON THE BREASTS OF THE NEW FALLEN SNOW, GAVE A LUSTER OF MID-DAY TO OBJECTS BELOW AND GAVE THEM A NEW GLOW! WHEN WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR! BUT, IT WAS A RED BIG SLEIGH AND TEN TINY REINDEER! WITH THE A LITTLE OLD DRIVER, AND, SO LIVELY AND QUICK, I KNEW THAT IN A MOMENT I'D HAVE TO BE SLICK, SNEAKY, AND QUICK, AND, I KNEW THAT IT WAS THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, WHO DID NOT SEE ME, AND, WHO WAS MORE RAPID THAT EAGLES OR BIRDS THAT HIS COURSERS THEY CAME! AND, HE WHISTLED AND SHOUTED AND CALLED THEM ALL BY NAMES!-'NOW-HASHER! NOW VANCER! NOW, FANCER! AND, DIXEN! ON GOMET! ON KUPID! AND, WANDER! AND GLITZEN! AND, MXER, AND, AND PEPPER! TO THE TOP OF THE PORCH AND TO THE TOP OF THE WALL! NOW, FLY AWAY, FLY AWAY! FLY AWAY ALL!'-SAID HE, THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, AND, AS DRY LEAVES THAT BEFORE THE HURRICANE WILD FLY! WHEN THEY MEET US WITH AN OBSTACLE, AND, MOUNTED THEMSELVES UP TO THE SKY! WITH THE SLEIGH SO FILLED UP WITH CANDY AND TOYS! AND, THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, TOO! AND, THEN, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, I HEARD THE ON THE ROOF, THAT WAS SHAKING AND QUAKING, THE PRANCING AND PAWING OF EACH LITTLE HOOF! AS I DREW IN MY HEAD, AND, WAS TURNING AROUND! DOWN INTO THE CHIMNEY, ST.HEADLESS-HORSEMAN CAME WITH A BOUND! HE WAS DRESSED ALL IN DARK BLACK CLOAKS, FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS FEET, AND, HIS CLOTHES WERE ALL BLACK AND, TARNISHED WITH ASHES AND SOOT! A BUNDLE OF TOYS AND CANDY THAT HE HAD FLUNG ONTO HIS BACK, AND, HE LOOKED LIKE A PEDDLER-THIEF IN THE NIGHT, JUST OPENING UP HIS PACK! HIS EYES-! OH, HOW THEY SPARKLED IN RED TWKLING EYES! HIS DIMPLES WERE MERRY! HIS SMILES WERE CHERRY AND GLAD! OH, HOW I WISH THAT I COULD TELL THIS TO MY DAD! HIS DROLL LITTLE MOUTH WAS DRAWN UP LIKE A BOW, AND, THE NECK OF BODY WAS AS DARK BLACK AS THE SNOW, IN THE NIGHT! THE STUMP OF A PIPE, HE HELD TIGHT IN HIS NECK, AND, THE SMOKE, IT ENCIRCLED AROUND HIS HEAD LIKE A WREATH! HE HAD A BROAD FACE AND A LITTLE ROUND BELLY! THAT SHOOK, WHEN HE LAUGHED, LIKE A BOWLFUL OF JELLY! HE WAS CHUBBY AND PLUMP, AND, A RIGHT JOLLY OLD WHELP, AND, I LAUGHED AND WHEN I SAW HIM, IN SPITE OF MYSELF! A WINK OF HIS EYE, HE GAVE TO ME, AND, A TWIST OF HIS HEAD, SOON, GAVE ME TO KNOW THAT I HAD NOTHING TO BE SNEAKY ABOUT OR DREAD! HE SPOKE NOT A WORD, BUT, SADLY, HE WENT STRAIGH BACK TO WORK, AND, FILLED UP ALL THE PUMPKIN STOCKINGS AND BUCKETS, AND, THEN, HE TURNED WITH A JERK, AND, LAYING HIS FINGER ASIDE OF HIS INVISIBLE NOSE, AND, GIVING A NOD, UP TO THE CHIMNEY, HE AROSE! HE SPRANG BACK ONTO TO HIS SLEIGH AND TO HIS TEAM, HE GAVE A WHISTLE, AND, AWAY, THEY ALL FLEW UP AND THEN, DOWN, AND, UP AGAIN, LIKE THE DOWN OF A THISTLE, BUT, I HEARD HIM EXCLAIM, OUT OF HERE, AS HE DROVE OUT OF SIGHT, SAYING, 'HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL! AND, TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!!...'

THE END.