How the Grinch Stole Christmas

By, Dr. Seuss

Narrator:  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, 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 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 there town.  For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath, was busy now hanging a holly-who wreath.

Grinch:  And there hanging there stockings,

Narrator:  He snarled with a sneer

Grinch:  Tommorow is Christmas, it's practicaly here.

Narrator:  Then he growled with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,

Grinch:  I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming.   Tomorrow I know all those Who girls and boys will wake bright and early, and rush for their toys, and then O' the noise, noise, noise the noise.  There's one thing I hate all the noise, noise, noise.  And they'll make shreeks and squeels racing round there wheels, and dance with ting-tinglers tied on to their heels.  They'll blow their blue-toopers, they'll bang their tar-tinkers.  They'll blow there Who-whoopers they'll bang there gar-dinkers.  They'll beat there drum-dinkers, they'll slam there slew-slumpers.  They'll beat there flung-floopers, they'll slam there who-wunkers.   And they'll play noisy games like zoo-zigger-carsay.  Or roller skate tiger, lacrosse, croquet.  Then they'll make ear splitting noises galoks on there great big electro-who-cardio-looks.  Then the Whos young and old will sit down to a feast, and they'll have feast and they'll feast and they'll feast, feast, feast.  They'll feast on who pudding, rare who roast beast, Arr roast beast is a feas I can't stand in the least.  Then they'll do something I hate most of all, every Who down in Whoville the tall and the small, will stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing, They'll stand hand in hand, those Who'l will start singing.  And they'll sing and they'll sing and they'll sing, sing, sing.

Narrator:  And the more the Grinch thought of this Who Christmas thing the more the Grinch thought,

Grinch:  I must stop this whole thing, why for fifty-three years I've put up for it now.  I must stop Christmas from coming, but how?

Narrator:  And then he got an idea, an awful idea the Grinch got a wonderful awful idea.

Grinch:  I know just what to do,

Narrator:  The Grinch laughed in his throat.

Grinch:  I'll make a quick Santy Clause hat and a coat.

Narrator:  He chuckled and clucked.

Grinch:  What a great grinchy trick, with this coat and this hat I'll look just like Saint Nick.  All I need is a reindeer.

Narrator:  The Grinch looked around but since reindeer are scarce there was none to be found.  Did that stop the Grinch, ha, The Grinch simply said,

Grinch:  If I can't make a reindeer I'll make one instead.

Narrator:  So he took his dog Max and took some black thread, and he tied a big horn on the top of his head.  Then he loaded some bags and some old empty sacks on a ranshackle sleigh and he whistled for Max.  And the Grinch said Gittyup and the sleigh started down to the homes where the Whos lay asleep in there town.   All there windows were dark, no one knew he was there all the Whos were all dreamin sweet dreams without care.  When he came to the first little house on the square.

Grinch:  This is stop number one.

Narrator:  The old Grinchy Clause hissed as he climbed to the room empty bags in his fist, and he slid down the chimmny a rather tight pinch, but if Santa could do it so could the Grinch.  He got stuck only once for a minute or two then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flu, where the little Whos stockings hung all in a row.

Grinch:  These stockings (he grinched) are the first thing to go.

Narrator:  Then he slithered and slugged with a smile most unpleasant, around the whole room he took every Who's present.  Then he stuffed them in bags then the Grinch very nimbly stuffed all the bags, one by one up the chimmney.   Then he slugged to the ice box he took the Who's feast, he took the Who pudding he took the roast beast.  Cleaning out the icebox as quick as a flas why that Grinch even took the last can of Who hash.  Then he stuffed all the food up the chimmney with glee.

Grinch:  Now (grinned the Grinch) I'll stuff up the tree.

Narrator:  As the Grinch took the tree as he started to shove, he heard a little sound like the coo of a dove.  He turned around fast and he saw a small Who.  Little Cindy Lou Who who was no more than two.  She stared at the Grinch and said,

Cindy:  Santy Clause, Why...  Why are you taking our Christmas tree?

Narrator:  but you know that Grinch was so smart and so slick, he thought up a lie and he thought it up quick.

Grinch:  My sweet little tart (the fake Santy Clause lied) there's a light on this tree that won't light on one side.  So I'm taking it home to my workshop my dear, I'll fix it up there and I'll bring it back here.

Narrator:  And his fib fooled the child, then he patted her head and he got her a drink and sent her to bed.  And when Cindy Lou Who was in bed with her cup, he crept to the chimmney and stuffed the tree up.  Then he went up the chimmney himslef the old liar and the last thing he took was the log for their fire.   On their walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire, and the one speck of food that he left in there house was a crumb that was even to small for a mouse.  Then he did the same thing to the other Who's houses leaving crumbs to small for the other Who's mouses.  Twas a quarter of dawn all the Whos still a bed all the Who's still a snooze, when he packed up his sled, up the mountain he sped.  Ten thousand feet up, up the side of Mt Crumpet he rode with his load to the top to dump it.  Ho, ho to the Who's he was grinchly humming there finding out now that no Christmas is coming.   There waking up now I know just what they'll do.  There mouths will hang open a minute or two then the Whos down in Whoville will cry Boo, Who, Who.

Grinch:  That's the noise (grinned the grinch) that I simply must hear.

Narrator:  He paused, and the Grinch put his hand to his ear, and he did hear a sound rising overr the snow, it started in low then it started to grow.   But this sound wasn't sad, 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 it came, some how or another it came, it came just the same.  And the Grinch with his grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling.

Grinch:  How could it be so.  It came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes, or bags.

Narrator:  He puzzled and puzzled 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.  What happened then well in Whoville they say that the Grinches small heart grew three sizes that day.  And then the true meaning of Christmas came through the Grinch had the strength of ten grinches plus two.  And now that his heart didn't feel quite so tight, he wizzed with his load through the bright morning light.  With a smile in his soul he descended Mt. Crumptet with a cheer in his blowing of Who-Who on his trumpet.   He rode into Whoville he brought back there toys, he brought back the floof to the girls and boys.  He brought back their snowfle there tringles there zowfuls, he brought back there hat-twoklers, three daxlers and wuzzles.  He brought everything back, all the food for their feast he, he himself the Grinch carved the roast beast.   Welcome Christmas bring your cheer Cheer for all who's far and near.   Christmas Day is in our grasp as long as we have hands to clasp.  Christmas day will always be just as long as we have we.  Welcome Christmas while we stand heart to heart to hand to hand.