'Twas the night before Caley Carnage, when all through the hold
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Skaven;
The ratmen were hung on the ramparts with care,
In hopes that Gotrek soon would be there;
The dwarfs were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of ale kegs danced in their heads;
And Felix in his 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's war,
When out on the mountain there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the parapets I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and blew on the horn.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a steam, and six tiny Demigryphs,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Gotrek.
More rapid than eagles 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, Micheal and Richard!
To the top of the towers! to the top 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, mount to the sky,
So up to the hold-top the coursers they flew,
With the steamtank full of toys, and Gotrek too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the mountainside
The prancing and pawing of each little claw.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the forge Gotrek came with a bound.
He was covered all in blood, from his head to his foot,
And his beard all tarnished with grime and guts;
A bundle of heads he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a executioner just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples 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 of his chin was as orange as the fires;
The stump of a pipe he held tight 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, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old dwarf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled the furnace with heads; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the forge he rose;
He sprang to his steamtank, to his army gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the flowers of Heather.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY END TIMES TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!