How to play: everyone holds a gift. Read the story out loud. Pass one seat left on every LEFT and one seat right on every RIGHT. When the story ends, keep what you're holding.
'Twas the night before Christmas, and right through the house not a creature was stirring, none left, not a mouse. The stockings were hung, left and right, with such care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug, left and right, while visions of sugarplums danced through the night. And Mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled right down for a long winter's nap,
when out on the left there arose such a clatter, I sprang to the right to see what was the matter. Right away to the window I flew like a flash, tore the shutters left open, and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave a luster of midday to all left below, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, right here!
With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew right away it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled left, shouted right, called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! left, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! right, Donner and Blitzen! To the left of the porch! to the right of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, left for the sky, so right to the housetop the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing, left, right, of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning right round, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes, left and right, were all tarnished with soot. A bundle of toys he flung right on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His left eye, it twinkled! His right one, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held right in his teeth, and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook, left and right, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his left eye, a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went right to his work, and filled all the stockings, turned left with a jerk, and laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod to the right, up he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to the left gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, as he swung to the right, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
The end. Whatever you're holding right now is yours.
Adapted from 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' (1823), traditionally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Public domain.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas Left Right Game · playcouchful.com/left-right-game/story/night-before-christmas/