How the Grinch Stole Christmas [Excerpt]

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch who lived just North of Whoville did not! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, He stood there on Christmas Eve hating the Whos, Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown At the warm lighted windows below in their town, For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath Was busy now hanging a hollywho wreath. "And they're hanging their stockings," he snarled with a sneer. "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, "I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming! For, tomorrow, I know all the Who girls and boys Will wake bright and early. They'll rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! There's one thing I hate! All the NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! [...] They'll stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They'll stand hand-in-hand, and those Whos will start singing!" Fahoo forays, dahoo dorays Welcome Christmas! Come this way Fahoo forays, dahoo dorays Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day Welcome, welcome, fahoo ramus Welcome, welcome, dahoo damus Christmas Day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp Fahoo forays, dahoo dorays... "And they'll sing! And they'll sing! And they'll SING! SING! SING! SING!" And the more the Grinch thought of this Who Christmas Sing, The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing! Why for fifty-three years I've put up with it now! I must stop Christmas from coming! But how?" Then he got an idea! An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea! "I know just what to do!" The Grinch laughed in his throat. "I'll make a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat." [...] "This is stop number one," the old Grinchy Claus hissed, As he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist. Then he slid down the chimney, a rather tight pinch. But if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch. He got stuck only once, for a minute or two. Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue Where the little Who stockings hung all in a row. "These stockings," he grinched, "are the first things to go!" Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, Around the whole room, and he took every present! [...] It was quarter of dawn. All the Whos still a-bed, All the Whos still a-snooze, when he packed up his sled, Packed it up with their presents, their ribbons, their wrappings, Their snoof and their fuzzles, their tringlers and trappings! Ten thousand feet up, up the side of Mount Crumpet, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! "Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinchily humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do! Their mouths will hang open a minute or two Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry boo-hoo! That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "that I simply must hear!" He paused, and the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low, then it started to grow. But this sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded glad! Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, Was singing without any presents at all! He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming! It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling. "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!" He puzzled and puzzed till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more! And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! And then the true meaning of Christmas came through, And the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two! And now that his heart didn't feel quite so tight, He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light With a smile to his soul, he descended Mount Crumpet Cheerily blowing "Who! Who!" on his trumpet. He road into Whoville. He brought back their toys. He brought back their floof to the Who girls and boys. He brought back their snoof and their tringlers and fuzzles, Brought back their pantookas, their dafflers and wuzzles. He brought everything back, all the food for the feast! And he, he himself, the Grinch carved the roast beast! Welcome Christmas. Bring your cheer, Cheer to all Whos, far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to grasp. Christmas Day will always be Just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand Heart to heart and hand in hand.