The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus Poem by Ogden Nash

The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus

Rating: 3.9


In Baltimore there lived a boy.
He wasn't anybody's joy.
Although his name was Jabez Dawes,
His character was full of flaws.


In school he never led his classes,
He hid old ladies' reading glasses,
His mouth was open when he chewed,
And elbows to the table glued.
He stole the milk of hungry kittens,
And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE.
He said he acted thus because
There wasn't any Santa Claus.


Another trick that tickled Jabez
Was crying 'Boo' at little babies.
He brushed his teeth, they said in town,
Sideways instead of up and down.
Yet people pardoned every sin,
And viewed his antics with a grin,
Till they were told by Jabez Dawes,
'There isn't any Santa Claus!'


Deploring how he did behave,
His parents swiftly sought their grave.
They hurried through the portals pearly,
And Jabez left the funeral early.


Like whooping cough, from child to child,
He sped to spread the rumor wild:
'Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes
There isn't any Santa Claus!'
Slunk like a weasel of a marten
Through nursery and kindergarten,
Whispering low to every tot,
'There isn't any, no there's not!'


The children wept all Christmas eve
And Jabez chortled up his sleeve.
No infant dared hang up his stocking
For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking.


He sprawled on his untidy bed,
Fresh malice dancing in his head,
When presently with scalp-a-tingling,
Jabez heard a distant jingling;
He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof
Crisply alighting on the roof.
What good to rise and bar the door?
A shower of soot was on the floor.


What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?
The fireplace full of Santa Claus!
Then Jabez fell upon his knees
With cries of 'Don't,' and 'Pretty Please.'
He howled, 'I don't know where you read it,
But anyhow, I never said it!'
'Jabez' replied the angry saint,
'It isn't I, it's you that ain't.
Although there is a Santa Claus,
There isn't any Jabez Dawes!'


Said Jabez then with impudent vim,
'Oh, yes there is, and I am him!
Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't'
And suddenly he found he wasn't!
From grimy feet to grimy locks,
Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box,
An ugly toy with springs unsprung,
Forever sticking out his tongue.


The neighbors heard his mournful squeal;
They searched for him, but not with zeal.
No trace was found of Jabez Dawes,
Which led to thunderous applause,
And people drank a loving cup
And went and hung their stockings up.


All you who sneer at Santa Claus,
Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes,
The saucy boy who mocked the saint.
Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Susan Williams 20 December 2015

Ogden Nash is always a worthwhile read- I must agree with Seema though- Santa was so very harsh. But perhaps other Jabez will take heed not to mock Santa or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy

27 2 Reply
Ramset Jones 03 May 2016

I think Jabez is more than symbolic of a naughty boy. His bullying, tyrannical behaviour is more akin to that of a totalitarian dictator. He also exhibits the classic behaviour of the anti-social personality disorder, a trait shared by most dictators.

4 7 Reply
Ramset Jones 03 May 2016

I think Jabez is symbolic of more than just a naughty boy - his bullying, tyrannical behaviour is more akin to that of a totalitarian dictator. He is the classic embodiment of the anti-social personality disorder, a personality trait very common in dictators.

6 4 Reply
Kim Barney 20 December 2015

Ogden Nash has always been one of my favorite poets. I don't remember seeing this poem before, but it is filled with his usual humor. Thanks, PH.

8 1 Reply
Spock The Vegan 11 December 2015

Ha Ha Ha, Very good.

5 1 Reply
pablo 09 December 2019

borinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng! ! ! !

0 2 Reply
Cindy 03 December 2019

The last two lines are incorrect.

0 1 Reply
Aparna 01 August 2019

Thanks for this poem

1 0 Reply
THE REAL DRAKE 06 December 2018

ITS ALRIGHT IT WAS NOT THAT BAD

2 0 Reply
Todd Giberson 25 October 2017

This is a classic and one of my favorites from one of my favorite poets.

3 2 Reply
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Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash

New York / United States
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