Inspired by ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas by Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828) – previously believed to be by Clement Clarke Moore
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas a Triceratops Tale
by Paul Heinzman
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the forest
Not a creature was stirring, not even an Allosaurus;
The stockings were hung on the conifers with care,
In hopes that TySantasaurus Rex would soon be there;
The dinosaurs were all snug in their nests,
While visions of sweet-nuts danced in their crests;
And Mama with some ferns, and Dad with some thatch,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,
When out of the tree tops there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my nest to see what was the matter.
Away to the clearing I flew like a flash,
Tore back the shrubs and kicked up some ash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a sleigh, with nine Raptors to steer,
With TySantasaurus Rex the driver, so lively a Dinosaurus,
I knew in a moment it must be TySantasaurus.
More rapid than Quetzalcoatlus they came,
And he shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Brison! now, Xavier! now, Alan and Jeffrey!
On, Charlie! on, Jadon! on Blue on Raphael and Jerry!
To the top of the trees! Over the mountain tops he called!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the mountain-top the they flew,
With the sleigh full of Well Wishes, Hope and TySantasaurus too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the ground
The prancing and clawing with each little pound.
As I drew in my foot, and was turning around,
Down to the clearing TySantasaurus Rex came with a bound.
He with bright colored in feathers, from his head to his feet,
And his scales were spotted with ashes and sleet;
bundles of Joy he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a traveler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his feathers how merry!
His scales were like roses, his brows bright cherry!
His mouth full of teeth was drawn up like a bow,
And jaw sparkled like the snow;
The stem of a peppermint tree he held tight in is teeth,
And holly encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a bright colored belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was hefty and plump, a jolly old Tyrannosaur-elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of my Ceratopsian-self;
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 stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And pointing his claws towards his nose,
And giving a nod, up from the clearing 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, as he flew out of sight,
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!”
Happy Christmas Everyone!
My First Book “Is a Metal Dinosaur the Right Pet for You?” is Available as an eBook on Kindle through Amazon.com
Only $3.99!
Included are two photos of Prehistoric Pals converted to black & white line drawings for You to express Your Color Imagination! Search online for print options on Your device. Print Screen, Cropping & Printing are available on many smart phones. Your smart phone may even allow You to email Your Print Screen to Yourself allowing even more options before printing. Kindle has an app for smart phones!
I would love to see Your Color Visions for Dominic & Raphael! Use crayons, pencils, pens, or watercolors! Attach feathers, glitter whatever brings them to life for You. Send a picture of Your Colorized Imaginations to: paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com It could be in a future post!
I will keep You posted with information on my Next eBook “The Shy Triceratops”. I planning to have Paperback versions available in 2022.
Museums have reopened with Limits on Guests, Social Distancing & Mask requirements to keep Visitors Safe while They Enjoy Their Learning Experience. Consider a Membership with the Museum. In addition to Supporting Their Valuable Work there are Benefits to You. Special Preview Events for Members Only as well as Virtual Access Exclusive for Members. For more information and access to general public eLearning check out the links below.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County www.nhm.org under Research & Collections / Digitized Collections will allow you to browse their Collections. Check out the latest Activities on their site.
The American Natural History Museum www.amnh.org You will find eLearning for Families, Students & Educators. Explore the Museum Virtually. Check Out SciCafe: Video Talks and Meet the Icons: Stories behind the Exhibits! There are Video Series covering Behind the Scenes at the Museum with Space & Dinosaur Explainers.
Chicago’s Field Museum www.fieldmuseum.org You can talk to “Maximo the Titanosaur” online, Yes Really! Visit Sue the largest T-Rex discovered! Check Out “Brain Scoop” and the Learning Resources – many are also in Spanish.
Check Out Your Libraries eBooks. My local Library has over 900 eBooks on Dinosaurs! Here are four books for Drawing Dinosaurs that you might find at your Library. Ask your Librarian about others.
1-2-3 Draw Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Animals A step by step guide by Freddie Levin (2001)
Draw 50 Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Animals by Lee J. Ames (1977)
Draw it Dinosaurs by Patricia Walsh (2006)
I Can Draw Dinosaurs by Terry Longhurst (2003)
Stay Safe & Well.
Please Remember to Wear Masks & Social Distance As Appropriate Not everyone has been Vaccinated. Protect Yourself, Friends, Family & Everyone You Pass!
Thank You!
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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