Title Page

  THE CHRISTMAS TREE TANGLE

  By

  Margaret Mahy

  Illustrated by Anthony Kerins

  Publisher Information

  The Christmas Tree Tangle published in 2011 by

  Andrews UK Limited

  www.andrewsuk.com

  Published under exclusive license from

  Margaret Mahy

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The characters and situations in this book are entirely imaginary and bear no relation to any real person or actual happening.

  Copyright © Margaret Mahy

  The right of Margaret Mahy to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Text Copyright – Margaret Mahy

  Illustrations Copyright – Anthony Kerins

  The Story

  Goodness gracious, what do I see?

  The kitten has climbed the Christmas Tree!

  Climbed so high and climbed so far

  To Cling with her claws to the Christmas star.

  Far, far above the town,

  She mews and mews, but can’t come down.

  Everyone hears her caterwaul:

  Help! Help! - or the kitten will fall.

  Goodness, gracious, what do I see?

  The cat is climbing the Christmas tree.

  Watch her scrabbling, watch her scratch -

  the black - and - white cat with the ginger patch.

  She follows the kitten who climbed so far

  To cling with her claws to the Christmas star.

  Branch to branch, and bough to bough,

  The cat will rescue the kitten now.

  But, horrakapotchkin! What do I see?

  She’s tangled her tail and can’t pull free.

  Oh, what terrible Christmas luck:

  Help! Help! - for the cat is stuck.

  Goodness gracious, what do I see?

  The dog is climbing the Christmas tree.

  Past the cat with the tangled tail -

  Who twists and tugs and begins to wail -

  To free the kitten who climbed so far

  To cling with her claws to the Christmas star.

  Branch to branch, and bough to bough,

  The dog will rescue the kitten now.

  But nobody told him dogs can’t climb.

  He’s having a terribly tumbly time.

  Beware, below there! Mercy me!

  Now, the dog is trapped in the tree.

  His nose is dry and his ears go flop.

  Help! Help! - or the dog will drop.

  Goodness gracious, what do I see?

  The goat is climbing the Christmas tree.

  With lily - white beard and cheerful bleat,

  She bobs and bounds on high - heeled feet

  Past the cat with the tangled tail -

  Who splits the night with a woeful wail -

  And past the dog who barks with fright

  (Bow - wow- wow! in the Christmas night),

  To save the kitten who climbed so far

  To cling with her claws to the Christmas star.

  Branch to branch, and bough to bough,

  The goat will rescue the kitten now.

  But branches baffle her high - heeled feet,

  And so the goat begins to bleat.

  She slips and slides. She starts to sprawl.

  Help! Help! - or the goat will fall.

  Goodness gracious, what do I see?

  The pigs are climbing the Christmas tree.

  Past the cat with the tangled tail -

  Who splits the night with a woeful wail -

  Past the dog who barks with fright

  (Bow - wow - wow! in the Christmas night),

  Past the goat who teeters there,

  Entreating, bleating in despair,

  To save the kitten who climbed so far

  To cling with her claws to the Christmas star.

  Branch to branch, and bough to bough,

  The pigs will rescue the kitten now.

  But what a disaster! Look at the pigs.

  Their trotters totter among the twigs!

  Help! Help! Arouse the town

  Before the pigs come tumbling down.

  Squealing! Bleating Barking, too,

  While the cat and the kitten moan and mew!

  Carolling children stop to stare.

  At all the animals clinging there.

  The children think it’s a jamboree:

  What an astonishing Christmas tree!

  Btu as the animals huff and puff,

  The kitten decides she’s had enough.

  Look! Look! She’s begun to climb.

  The kitten was tricking them all the time.

  She ducks. She dives. As she descends

  She steps in turn on all her friends.

  Through piney needles and bending twigs

  She lightly leaps on squealing pigs.

  She purrs and pounces…seems to float,

  Grabbing the beard of the bleating goat.

  She runs along the back of the dog,

  While all the children stand agog.

  On to the cat, then down to the ground,

  Landing happily – safe and sound.

  But pigs and goat and dog and cat

  Are stuck in the tree – and that is that!

  Help! Help! I hear them all call.

  Catch us quickly in case we fall…

  Goodness gracious, what do you see?

  Someone is climbing the Christmas tree

  To save the cat, and the dog as well,

  (oh, what a story they’ll have to tell!)

  Climbing the tree to get to the goat

  And brush the needles out of her coat –

  Helping the pigs, both pink and brown,

  To curl their tails and they scramble down.

  Back once more on solid ground,

  They frolic and rollick, safe and sound.

  No more worry about a fall,

  For somebody brave has saved them all

  And taken them home for some Christmas fun,

  With cakes and crackers for everyone.

  Somebody brave has set them free.

  Goodness gracious, can it be me?

  Also Available

 

 

  Margaret Mahy, The Christmas Tree Tangle

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