T’was the night before Christmas

My friend and beekeeper buddy Marita worked this up last Christmas eve.  I thought it would make a good first blog post for my new website.  I hope you enjoy it and I hope Santa brings you some new bees this spring!

T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the hive
    Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Because the mouse guards had been installed with care
    In hopes to protect all the bees that were there.
The bees were nestled all snug in their hive,
    While visions of nectar danced in the dreams of their lives.
And the Queen in her kingdom and the rest of us in the brood,
    Had just settled down for a long winter’s snooze.
When up on the top of the super, there arose such a clatter
    I sprang from my honeycomb to see what was the matter.
Away to the top board I flew like a flash,
    Tore open the propolis as I made my fast dash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
    Gave me a worry that I should be below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
    I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick
More rapid than Yellow Jacks his courses 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 Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the hive! To the top of the hive cover.
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
As dry leaves make the honeybee fly,
    When they meet with an obstacle, they mount to the sky,
So up to the hive top the courses they flew.
     With a sleigh full of candy boards, and St. Nicholas too.
And then with, in a twinkling, I heard on the hive cover
    The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around
    Down the inner board St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
    And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of honeycomb he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like a beekeeper just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! ‘his dimples how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, that had pollen to be carried.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
    And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The smoker he carried he had gotten from Dadant
    And the smoke it calmed me in an in-stant.
He had a broad face and a little round belly
    That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of Royal Jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I could tell in a moment he had eaten plenty of our stuff.
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 empty foundation cells, and turned with a jerk.
And laying a finger aside his smoke filled nose,
    And giving a nod, up the inner cover board he arose!
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,
    MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all a good-winter night!
See you all in the spring next year,
    Bee cause that is the real reason
For a Merry Christmas and a
    Happy Blessed Start for a New Year.

A Original work by Clement Clarke Moore on 23rd December 1823
Bee alteration by Marita Turner 24th December 2015
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