My dad, Merle Edwards, taught me the verse as he had learned it as a boy in Iowa circa 1920.

I washed my face and combed my hair
And not forgot to say my prayers
And neither jerked nor slammed the door
Nor gone a sliding on the floor
Because two weeks ago I knew
That Christmas day would soon be due
I'm waiting for the 26th

I go to Sunday School each week
And learned why Moses was so meek
And who was Cain and all about
The way Goliath got knocked out
The teacher Sunday told my maw
I'm the best boy she ever saw
I'm waiting for the 26th

And yesterday a man went by
Who wore a plug hat two feet high
I had a snowball and my fingers
Itched a squirmed to sock it one
But I did not
A boy must sacrifice a lot
I'm waiting for the 26th