‘Twas the Week Before Christmas, And Awe Filled the White House

WASHINGTON —  President Clinton settled into a wicker rocking chair before a roaring fire in the State Dining Room on Friday, looked out over 140 eager little faces and cracked open “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Then, with great expression, he read the Christmas classic word for word--a rare performance for the normally unscripted President, who was wearing a tie adorned with a painting of Santa Claus.

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton listened from the sidelines, elbows perched on knees.

“It’s a good story, isn’t it?” Clinton asked at the end, showing off some of the pictures in the book by Clement Moore.

The children--assembled from six public schools in the District of Columbia--also were treated to a guest appearance by Santa Claus and a condensed version of “Annie Warbucks” by the Broadway cast.

Some of them seemed as impressed with Santa--and “first cat” Socks--as anything else, but the Clintons took it all in good humor.

The youngsters, some of them homeless, answered “yes” in a chorus as Clinton asked them a series of questions: “Are you having a good time? Do you think the White House looks nice? Are you excited about Christmas?”

And they finished one sentence for him when the President started to explain, “Saint Nicholas is another name for--”

“Santa Claus!” they shouted.

It all seemed a little overwhelming for 5-year-old Keedthrod Cubbage, a student at Malcolm X School. “I went to the White House,” Keedthrod summarized. “He was nice.”