Chihuahuas y La Noche Buena

Adapted by Rio Lara-Bellon.

Adaptation is Copyright © 1996 by Rio Lara-Bellon All Rights Reserved

‘Twas the night before Christmas

And all through the casa

Ni un raton se movia!Caramba! ?Que pasa?

Los ninos were all tucked away en sus camas,

Some in long underwear, some in pijamas.

While Mama worked late in her little Cocina

El viejo was down at the corner Cantina

Living it up with amigos, !carrajo!

Muy contento y un poco borracho.

While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,

In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado

To bring a los ninos both buenos y malos,

A nice batch of dulces y otros regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose such a grito

That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.

I ran to the window y mire’ afuera

And who in the world do you think that it era?

Santo Nikos in a sleigh and a big red sombrero

Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!

And pulling his sleigh, instead of venados,

Were eight little *CHIHUAHUAS*, approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre

Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:

Ay Milo! Ay Tobee! Ay Frida y Sasha!

Ay Todo! Ay Pepe! Ay Poco y Nacho!

Then standing erect with hand en su pecho

He flew to the top of our very own techo

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea

He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing, at last in our sala,

With soot smeared all over his traje de gala,

He filled all the stockings with bonitos regalos

For none of the ninos had been muy malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming muy contento,

He turned like a flash y volo’ como el viento.

And I heard him exclaim (y es la verdad!)

“MERRY CHRISTMAS A TODOS, !! FELIZ NAVIDAD !!”