joan stark "jgs"
http://www.ascii-art.com


 -=[ A Visit From St. Nicholas }=-  12/97
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                        ___
                       / __'.     .-"""-.
                 .-""-| |  '.'.  / .---. \
                / .--. \ \___\ \/ /____| |
               / /    \ `-.-;-(`_),____.-'._
              ; ;      `.-" "-:_,(o:==..`-. '.         .-"-,
              | |      /       \ /      `\ `. \       / .-. \
              \ \     |         Y    __...\  \ \     / /   \/
        /\     | |    | .--""--.| .-'      \  '.`---' /
        \ \   / /     |`        \'   _...--.;   '---'`
         \ '-' / jgs  /_..---.._ \ .'\\_     `.
          `--'`      .'    (_)  `'/   (_)     /
                     `._       _.'|         .'
                        ```````    '-...--'` 

                   "A Visit From St. Nicholas"
      by Clement Clarke Moore      (ASCII art by joan stark)

                                                  `'`;,
                                                   ___H_   _(`)
      _   _  'Twas the night before Christmas    _/\    \ ( )  )
     (o\_/o)    and all through the house...   /\__\\____\(  )_)
      |. .|    Not a creature was stirring,    ||""||''''| |`|
      =\ /=     not even a mouse.           ~~~`""""`""""`~~~~~~
        ^                                          _   _   _   _
                   The stockings were hung        |=| |=| |~| |=|
     o _             by the chimney with care,    | | | | | | | |
     |(')---.|     In hopes that St. Nicholas     /(| /(| /(| /(|
     |~~|o _ |       would soon be there.        (_/ (_/ (_/ (_/
     |===|(')---.|
         |~~|    |  The children were all nestled         _,_
      o _|=======|     all snug in their beds,        _,_((  )
      |(')---.|       While visions of sugar plums   ((  )`-`_,_
      |~~|    |          danced in their heads.       '-'   ((  )
      |=======|                                              `-`
    o _           And Mamma in her 'kerchief,       ___,
    |(')---.|         and I in my cap,             /(__\      .---.
    |~~|    |      Had just settled our brains    |__)__|    /   \_\
    |=======|        for a long winter's nap.    ,@@. .@@,  |_____|\|
                                                ,@@  ^  @@, //. .\\
     (IIIIIIIIIII)     When out on the lawn      `"\_=_/"`  (  ^  )
     )     ;     (     there arose such a clatter,           \_=_/
     (    ;|;    )        I sprang from my bed
     (   ;`|`;   (   to see what was the matter.   *  ____  .     *
     )  ;' | ';  (                                  .'_   '.
     (=@'--|--'@=)    Away to the window         '  `  `)a  \   .   '
     ) ';  |  ;` (     I flew like a flash,   .     *  /_    |
     ( ;___|___; )  Tore open the shutters          ,__.='  /  +  '
     ),;=======;,(     and threw up the sash.    +  '.____.' .
     ~           ~                                                 '
        .      .         The moon on the breast    '    *   .
        _\/  \/_          of the new-fallen snow
         _\/\/_      Gave the lustre of mid-day        .         *
     _\_\_\/\/_/_/_      to objects below.               _  _H_     +
      / /_/\/\_\ \                                 +    [_] (_)_
         _/\/\_       When, what to my wondering         |=( : )  .
         /\  /\          eyes should appear,         '   |(  :  )
      *  :  *  '     But a miniature sleigh,         `~~`~~`"""`~~`~
    . _\/ \/_ .         and eight tiny reindeer.
   * \  \ /  / *                                         __.  .--,
    -=>: X :<=-   With a little old driver,          .=,{\/ _/  /`)
   * / _/ \_ \ *    so lively and quick,       . ' (`._(_.;`   /
    '  /\ /\  '         I knew in a moment . '      \_________/
      *  '  *             it must be St. Nick.    (___Y_____Y___,
        .-/___,-/___,-/___,-/___, .  ' 
      .-/___,-/___,-/___,-/___, )   More rapid than eagles
       `\ _ )`\ _ )`\ _ )`\ _ )<     his coursers they came.
        /< <\ </ /< /< /< </ /<    And he whistled and shouted,
                                   and called them by name,
    \         /                                           \         /
    _\/     \/_   "Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer!              _\/     \/_
     _\-'"'-/_\         /    Now, Prancer and Vixen!       _\-'"'-/_
    (_,     ,_)\/     \/_  On, Comet! On, Cupid!          (_,     ,_)
      | ^ ^ |  _\-'"'-/_    On, Donder and Blitzen!        /| 6 6 |
      |     | (_,     ,_)                        _\/     \/_|     |
      |  Y  |   | o o |  To the top of the porch! _\-'"'-/_ |  Y  |
      `._|_.'   |     | To the top of the wall!  (_,     ,_)'._|_.' /
                |  0  | Now dash away! Dash away!  | ^ ^ | \/     \/_
   \         /  '._|_.'   Dash away all!           |     | _\-'"'-/_
   _\/     \/_                                     |  @  |(_,     ,_)
    _\-'"'-/_      As dry leaves that before    \  '._|_.'/ | 0 0 |
   (_,     ,_)      the wild hurricane fly,     _\/     \/_ |     |
     | 9 9 |      When they meet with an         _\-'"'-/_  | \_/ |
     |     |      obstacle mount to the sky;    (_,     ,_) '._|_.'
     |  V  |/     \/_                             | a a |
     '._|_.'\-'"'-/_   So up to the house-top     |     |
          (_,     ,_)   the coursers they flew,   |  Y  |    '97
            | e e | With the sleigh full of toys, '._|_.'      jgs
            |     |     and St. Nicholas too.
            |  Y  |
            '._|_.'    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 chimney Saint Nicholas  {_____}`{}
      |- \ \\ \\ \\ \_-|     came with a bound.           (/ . . \)
      |=-(_/(_/(_/(_/_=|                                  {`-=^=-`}
      |_|   {.'.}    |=|  He was dressed all in fur,      {   `   }
      |=| o _\~~\  o |=|    from his head to his foot.    {       }
     _|-| !(__,__| ! |-|_     And his clothes were all     {     }
    /==_| ! _,_.__ ! |=_-\  tarnished with ashes and soot;  `-,-`
    |jgs|/^\^=^^=^/^\| _=|
                             A bundle of toys
                         he had flung on his back,
         _....,_        And he looked like a            \*/
     _.-` _,..,_'.  peddlar just opening his pack.   __\\U//__
      _,-`/#o \ '.                                  |\\ | | \\|
       '-.\___/.-`  His eyes-- how they twinkled!   | \\| |\ \|()-()
                       His dimples how merry!       |\ \| |\\ |/. .\
                       His cheeks were like roses,  |\\ | | \\|\ Y /_
    __.--~~.,-.__     his nose like a cherry!   .--.| \\| |\ O__`&`__O
    `~-._.-(`-.__`-.                           /____\\ \| |\\ |/   \
            \   `~~`   His droll little mouth  \~~~~/"[B]"""""()/^\()
       .--./ \        Was drawn up in a bow,    `--` [A][C]
      /#   \  \.--.    And the beard of his chin
      \    /  /#   \     was as white as the snow;
       '--'   \    /                                    _...._
               '--'      The stump of a pipe          .::o:::::.
             _        he held tight in his teeth,    .:::'''':o:.
            {_}        And the smoke it encircled    :::      :::
            / \         his head like a wreath;      :o:_    _:o:
           /   \                                     `:}_>()<_{:'
          /_____\         He had a broad face          `'//\\'`
        {`_______`}     and a little round belly,       //  \\
         // . . \\     That shook when he laughed,     /'    '\
        ( (__O__) )    like a bowl full of jelly.
        {[]==u `-'}
        {         }     He was chubby and plump,            ____
        /{       }\      a right jolly old elf,          .'`    `\
       /  '.   .'  \  And I laughed when I saw him,     ;---.._   \
      /_/   `"`   \_\    in spite of myself;     ,=,==, \_...__\  |
     {__}###[_]###{__}                          __\|_/__ | a -  '.|
     (_/\_________/\_)    A wink of his eye    |   ||   |--.o.--'(_)
         |___|___|    and a twist of his head, |   ||   |-' = '-` )-.
    jgs   |--|--|      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;    '-.;  '--|  ;     .-'|
       [IIIII]   then turned with a jerk,          `'--.;--'...-'
     [IIIII]=|
     |=====|=|   And laying his finger
     |=====| |       aside of his nose,
     |     | |          And giving a nod,          _/\_     __/\__
     |     | |          up the chimney he rose;    )   (_  _) .' (
     |     | \                                     `) '.( ) .'  (`
     |     ;  \    He sprang to his sleigh,         `-._\()/__(~`
     |`'.   \  \     to his team gave a whistle,        ()()
     \  ;    \  \      And away they all flew          / |`\
      \'      \.'|   like the down of a thistle.       ) : (
       \    .'|_/                                      `)_/`
        '._:_/     But I heard him exclaim,

                   Ere he drove out of sight,

       "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night !"
                                                   __.  .--,
        .-/___,-/___,-/___,-/___,           _.-.=,{\/ _/  /`)
      .-/___,-/___,-/___,-/___, )     _..-'`-(`._(_.;`   /
       `\ _ )`\ _ )`\ _ )`\ _ )<`--''`     (__\_________/___,
        /< <\ </ /< /< /< </ /<           (_____Y_____Y___,

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