Thursday, December 24, 2009

Cajun Night Before Christmas



It is a long held tradition that this story be read here on our local television news broadcast every Christmas Eve, and really, in many, many households here along the coast. Heck we even have some folks up the street from me, who have a display of the alligators and skiff in their yard, yeah they do!

Click here to listen to the story from our local WLOX site. The video is in upper right hand side of page - press play to start it, or you can check out this reading on a video I found on You Tube. The costuming is a bit silly, but this fella does a pretty good job with it too.





Cajun Night Before Christmas
by Trosclair (Howard Jacobs)

'Twas the night before Christmas, an' all t'ru de house,

Dey don't a t'ing pass, not even a mouse.


De chirren been nezzle good snug on de flo',

An' Mama pass de pepper t'ru de crack on de do'.


Den Mama in de fireplace done roas' us de ham,

Stir up de gumbo, an' make de baked yam.


Den out on de bayou dey got such a clatter... Make soun' like old Boudreaux done fall off his ladder.


I run like a rabbit to got to de do'... Trip over de dawg an' fall on de flo'!


As I look out de do' in de light o' de moon, I t'ink, "Manh, you crazy, or got ole too soon."


Cuz dere on de bayou when I stretch ma' neck stiff... Dere's eight alligator a-pullin' de skiff...

An' a little fat drover wit' a lone polein' stick... I know r'at away got to be ole St. Nick.


Mo' fas'er an' fas'er de 'gator dey came. He whistle an' holler an' call dem by name:

"Ha, Gaston!

Ha, Tiboy!

Ha, Pierre an' Alcee!

Gee, Ninette!

Gee, Suzette!

Celeste an' Renee!"


To de top o' de porch dem ole 'gator clime! Wit' de skiff full o' toy an' St. Nicklus behin'.


Den on top de porch roof it soun' like de hail When all dem big 'gator done sot down dey tail!


Den down de chimney he fell wit' a bam... An' St. Nicklus fall an' sit on de yam!


"SACRE!" he axclaim "Ma pant got a hole. I done sot mase'f on dem red hot coal!"


He got on his foots an' jump like a cat... Out to de flo' where he lan' wit' a SPLAT!


He was dress in musk-rat from his head to his foot An' his clothes is all dirty wit' ashes an' soot.


A sack full o' playt'ing he t'row on his back. He look like a burglar, an' dass fo' a fack!


His eyes how dey shine...his dimple, how merry! Maybe he been drink de wine from blackberry!


His cheek was like rose...his nose like a cherry... On secon' tought maybe he lap up de sherry!


Wit' snow-white chin whisker an' quiverin' belly, He shook when he laugh like de stromberry jelly!


But a wink in his eye...an' a shook o' his head... Make my confidance dat I soon got to be scared.


He don' do no talkin'...gone straight to his work... Put playt'ing in sock an' den turn wit' a jerk!


He put bot' his han' dere on top o' his head, He cas' an eye on de chimney an' den he done said: "Wit' all o' dat fire an' dem burnin' hot flame... Me I ain' goin' back by de way dat I came."


So he run out de do' an' he clime to de roof... He ain' no fool, him for to make one more goof.


He jump in his skiff an' crack his big whip. De 'gator move down an' don' make one slip.


An' I hear him shout loud as a splashin' he go: "Marry C'rismas to all...till I saw you some mo'!"


Merry Christmas Y'all!!

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