Grinch

Every who down in who-ville liked Christmas a lot.

But the grinch just north of who-ville did not.

The grinch hated Christmas. The whole Christmas season. No one quite knows the reason.

He stared down from his cave with a sour grinchy frown at the warm light windows below in their town.

Then, he growled with his grinch fingers nervously drumming, that he must find a way to stop Christmas from coming.

For tomorrow he knew all the who girls and boys would rush for their toys. Oh, the noise!

Then, whos, young and old would sit down to a feast of who-pudding and who-roast-beast. Which was something the grinch couldn't stand in the least.

And then, they'd do something he liked least of all. Every who down in who-ville the tall and the small would start singing.

The more the grinch thought of this who Christmas sing the more he thought he must stop this whole thing.

Then he got an idea! A wonderful awful idea!

The grinch laughed in his throat and made a Santy Claus hat and a coat.

What a great trick, he looked just like Saint Nick.

He called his dog Max and made him a reindeer instead by tying a big horn on top of his head.

He loaded some bags and old empty sacks on his ramshackle sleigh and he and Max were on their way.

All the windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air. All the whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care. When he came to the first house on the square.

He slid down the chimney a rather tight pinch. But if Santa could do it then so could the grinch.

He slithered and slunk with a smile most unpleasant around the whole room and took every present.

He slunk to the icebox. He took the whos-feast. He took the who-pudding. He took the roast-beast.

He stuffed everything up the chimney with glee. It was time to stuff up the tree.

As he started to shove, he heard the coo of a dove.

Caught by this tiny who daughter who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water.

The grinch so sly and so slick thought up a lie and thought it up quick.

He sent her away with her cup and went the chimney and stuffed the tree up.

He did the same to the other who's houses. Leaving crumbs much to small for the other who's mouses.

It was a quarter past dawn, all the whos still a-bed, all the whos still a-snooze when he packed up his sled.

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Cumpit. He road with his load to the tip top to dump it.

He put a hand to his ear and could hear a sound rising over the snow. It started low, then started to grow.

The sound wasn't sad. It was merry, very!

He stared down at who-ville. A shocking surprise before his eyes.

Every who down in who-ville the tall and the small were singing. Without presents at all.

He hadnt stopped Christmas from coming. It came! Somehow or other it came just the same!

The grinch with his feet icecold in the snow stood puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.

He puzzled for hours till his puzzler was sore. Then the grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store?maybe Christmas means a little bit more?

In who-ville they say, that the grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.

The minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight. He whizzed the load through the bright morning light.

He brought back the toys and the food for the feast.

And he, himself, the grinch carved the roast beast.