The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
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Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor – December 2016

- December 1, 2016 - - (excerpt)

For Christmas

Our local beekeepers’ club is small in number but pretty connected with each other throughout the year. We share an added blessing because we are fortunate enough to have a Dadant store right in Sioux City that makes access for our bee supplies not much out of our way. That is how your store ended being listed in the alteration to the poem. Well when the holidays rolled around a note was posted about “I hope Santa brings us all some great beekeeping equipment and some new bees come spring! Hope you all have a great Holiday.” John Anderson

That is what prompted me to write the Bee Alterations to ‘Twas the night before Christmas. When I was drooling over my Dadant catalog I saw where you were interested in articles.

Marita A. Turner
Moville, IA

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the hive
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
Because the mouse guards had
been installed with care
In hopes to protect all the bees
that were there.

The bees were nestled all snug
in their hive,
While visions of nectar danced
in the dreams of their lives
And the Queen in her kingdom and
the rest of us in the brood,
Had just settled down for
a long winter’s snooze.

When up on the top of the super,
there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my honeycomb to
see what was the matter.
Away to the top board I flew like a flash,
Tore open the propolis as
I made my fast dash.

The moon on the breast of the
new-fallen snow
Gave me a worry that I should be below.
When what to my wondering eyes
should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and
eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than Yellow Jackets
his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted,
and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now Dancer!
now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on
Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the hive! To the top
of the hive cover.
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”

As dry leaves make the honey bee fly,
When they meet with an obstacle,
they mount to the sky,
So up to the hive top the coursers
they flew.
With a sleigh full of candy boards,
and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling,
I heard on the hive cover
the prancing and pawing of
each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and
was turning around
Down the inner cover St. Nicholas
came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur,
from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were …

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