Story: The Night Before Christmas
Once upon a time…
une nuit d’avant Christmas où toute la maison était calme. Pas un bruit, ni le vent ni les petits pas d’une souris. Les enfants et leurs parents rêvaient du lendemain qui les attendait, avec ses cadeaux, ses friandises et les rires de tous et chacun.
Suddenly, a loud noise was heard on the roof. Little Jerome woke up and ran to the window. He flung the shutters wide open. The moon shone like daylight, and the snow was covered with a thousand sparkles like diamonds. It was a magical night.
C’est alors qu’apparu, devant son regard ébloui, un traineau rouge tiré par huit rennes conduits par un bonhomme à la barbe blanche. Jérôme sut tout de suite qu’il s’agissait du Santa Claus.
From afar, we could hear him encouraging his reindeer: "Go, Frisky, go, Roussette, and you, Comet! Faster, Dancer! Forward, Lightning and Thunder, and wake up, Cupid! Go faster! Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Swift as eagles driven by the wind, the reindeer and the sleigh overflowing with presents crossed the sky. Soon after, Jerome heard the sound of their hooves as they landed on the roof of the house and the footsteps of Santa Claus as he prepared to go down the great chimney. Quickly, the little one went down to the ground floor to hide while watching the dear Snowman.
Although his beard remained white, his beautiful red suit was stained with black powder, and on his back he carried a large bag filled with packages. He seemed to be enjoying this distribution very much, as one could see his crooked smile and his eyes sparkling with happiness.
Little Jerome couldn't hold back a cry of joy when Santa Claus set down the red truck he'd been dreaming about for so long. He heard it and spun around. His round belly jumped as he laughed. He winked at him, blinked his fingers, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke with a few starry snowflakes hovering above.
A few minutes later, Jerome saw the sleigh and its reindeer high in the sky, already leaving, lighter than feathers.