The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-24
Joe ZiIchs Nigkt Before ChTstm0s
 By DAN PARKER

Twas the night before Christmas and through the EcA house no creature was sIriins 'svs vle zchs s sg0ss Awaiting G. NIes vho hs knew, would bs lhsre Why shouldn't fFOw take tAs place os hs grin After one solid year q hard eOuss on she chn9 ' hopss AZ mSssssd Slc cs us @ seUF!lns @ ,as s sses sake And hardly he'd 2. sos.sa .h..s words of ns sns.. M hs SnoFed deep and loud by the fires lekFing eeAm Joe zIch, the apofb fan, had wonderful dream
 n: reg .s .s .:s Ss ':s ; 2; ..,.. s ySs; :ss witb JSs sishS iIiss:ids h Brooklyn tho goal slsts gslnssss wsfs snssFsd hy jolly q. Nick And zich back ln vlatelsh was sysn hs pies O Cupid oF Dnnder or BIlMsn or PranceF ziich etuded hk form sheet twice over and back To find which sxcsllsd on lightning fest traes ..,. "ff yoa didn't shoot the whole works on this oupld "ivs true that I've never ys. won on nag "Dt Jnst have . hunch Nlcks got this n the bag And besides, reindeer run true Q form suppose 50 I'm playing this Cupid deer nsht on sne nose" The reindeer, aI eager to win the big dough, Were oif ike BoFsGs when Santa cried "ocp Out n front by two lengths, Comet set fast pace But remember this waS two'thO'Sand''nile race yHsn zen. .O the sren. they crossed the Ice pack When they hit the vast tundra clothed In deep white Both Dnndsr and Bitssn gave Vixen fight TSsoteh canadas forests t turned nip and tuck With first doe leading and later buck s...n There Cupid with one mighty spurt took the van Through pusssiO Rochester, Rome and echoes Cupid opened tFal in the deep drifting sncwS ..s Down the Hudson they whsied and still in the leao Was Cupid, the champ at improving the breed Don't let me down, cupldp cried zilch in a sweat, As he lssped to hE feet to help root home his bet Don't fold me, Cupid, my valiant reindeer "T the Bitches eat deer stew for chFstnas this year. As they wzsed through Dancer bid for the lead But Cupid heard prayers and turned more speed Then, flying OCT roofs of 6 city in bed, Pulled Ip at the ztichs, full six lengths ahead And there for the payoff was Santa himself
 Hts bag and his pockets just bursting with peh "Atl this k for you Joe" he said, land more, too There's many refund that's coming to you. "A6y books say that you the big amadahn "who foTked out hundred for Louis and Conn" With that Santa dag down into spare sack And counting out ninety, said: This you get back SOn ai your hot favFites that went to post, lame. "TIhege1 also slg hundred and thirty in Ice
 which you paid for sports seats over bOx-Offce price This refund of sishty.ftve smackers k due For the dough that stolen in breakage from you And wad you will find tn that sbound oak Dank "Ts for fighters you bet on who went in the tank sAs a podger fan Joe you get half your dough back Because Deacon Hickey got off the main track And kSle dBTooklynb chances along in mid-seaSon By selling Bill Herman without rhyme or reason. Hockey basketball foOtbAii-they ell sold you short By raising the price of but not class of sport "8o each now must cough up whatever b due
 On the score that they all made Q sucker of you" "rhk Is just a wonderful dreami" Joe zlch said Then he felt himself couted on top of the head "ream k rgt" cried his wife she gave him shake "0et to bed Joe your saores have an F1atousn awake