Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch The pond was froze over
& so was the branch.
The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.
The kids were all home on vacation from school, And happier young folks you
never did see- Just all sprawled around a-watchin' TV.
Then suddenly, some time around 8 o'clock, There came a surprise that gave
them a shock!
The power went off, the TV went dead!
When Grandpa came in from out in the shed With an armload of wood, the house
was all dark.
"Just what I expected," they heard him remark.
"Them power line wires must be down from the snow.
Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago."
"I'll hunt up some candles," said Mom. "With their light, And the
fireplace, I reckon we'll make out all right."
The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.
Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room, Uncased his old fiddle &
started to play That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.
Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew Both Pop & the kids were all
singing it, too.
They sang Christmas carols, they sang "Holy Night,"
Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.
They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth, And Pop read a
passage from God's Book of Truth.
They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe, The youngsters agreed
'twas a fine Christmas Eve.
Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn; And when the kids wakened, the
power was on.
"The power company sure got the line repaired quick,"
Said Grandpa - & no one ever suspected his trick.
Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun, He had pulled the main
switch - the old Son-of-a-Gun!

Anonymous