Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:51:17 -0500
From: "N. Gallagher" (((Daily Drool)))

The Night Before Christmas

My usual Christmas Greeting Poem! Sadly I think all bassets mentioned
are now gone :( So, in their memory...


'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)



'Twas the Night Before Christmas, when all though our home,
Not a basset was playing, not with pig ear, nor bone.
The stockings hung neatly, red cloth paws in a row,
marking the home of good bassets - Santa would know.

The hounds were tucked in, nice and warm in my bed
while sweet dreams of snausages danced in their heads.
In warm flannel PJ's, I checked on each hound,
Then turned out the light, when I heard a strange sound.

The bassets were snoring, but that wasn't it -
It came from the roof, a sound that wouldn't quit.
I jumped out of bed without waking a hound,
Cranked open the window and looked all around.

The moon's reflection on the new fallen snow
Gave the illusion of Frosty Paws to objects below.
Then I saw it - this is what made the strange sounds...
A shiny red sleigh and eight baying hounds.

With Santa Paws driving and steering the sleigh,
He had gifts for the bassets, I knew right away.
Much quicker than bunnies, in packs bassets came and
Santa Paws whistled and called them by name.

"Now Cleo! Now Clarence!
Now Maggie and Molly!
On Caruso! On Dudley!
On Mandy and Raleigh!
Sniff out the homes
of the good little hounds,
then onto their roofs, we'll arrive with a bound!"

As dust bunnies in the homes of hound's fly,
when they  meet with a broom and float to the sky,
so up to the roof tops the pack of eight flew,
with a sleigh full of chewies and Santa Paws, too.

Now all the hounds were awake with the noise
and excitedly pranced around for their toys.
'Shhhh', I told them, 'Don't make a sound'
Just then Santa Paws came in with a bound!

On his back was a sack full of wondrous toys
All ready for good little hound girls and hound boys
We tried to be quiet, but then one hound sneezed,
and said, Santa Paws, fill our stockings - we've been very good -- please?'

Santa's eyes spied the bassets and he smiled a smile
that stretched cheek to cheek; he smiled a mile.
'Ho Ho Ho!', he bellowed, 'What a wonderful home,
With a house full of bassets, you're never alone.'

Santa laughed a big chuckle with his hands on his belly
that jiggled and shook like a bowl full of jelly.
We stared in amazement and watched happily
as the old elf took each gift and put it under the tree.

After the stockings, he gave each hound a pat,
then flew back up the chimney, where his own pack was at.
Each hound got a biscuit, then he sprang to his sleigh,
'Hurry!' he said, 'before Christmas day!'

Onto all basset homes, Santa steering the hounds,
Away they all flew with the most magical sounds.
Yet, I heard him exclaim as they drove out of sight,

Happy Howlidays to All, and to All a Good Night!


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