'Twas the night before Easter, when my family was funny
Not a creature was stirring, not even a bunny;
The eggs were ready by the kitchen table with care,
In hopes that the Easter Bunny soon would be here;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of chocolate bunnies danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long spring nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a thumbing,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon as bright on a starry night
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature human size bunny with a bow and hoddie

With a little old basket,full of thousands of eggs,
I knew in a moment it must be the easter bunny
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he snuffed, and hopped, and bounded away

Bing.bong,bing bong as the rabbit scattered away

"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now hop away! hop away! hop away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, that jumped above the sky,
So up to the house-top the courses he hopped,
With the basket full of eggs and sweets, 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The thumbing and hopping of each rabbit foot.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney the  Easter Bunny came with a thumb.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were a hat and a knitted sweater
A bundle of eggs he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were fuzzy, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the hare  was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round bow
That shook, when he sniffed the air

He was chubby and plump,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
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 eggs with sweets then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his feet,
And away he hopped to another home, like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, he hopped out of sight,
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!