A CHRISTMAS TREE TALE...

I have been absent from the land of blog due to what feels like the flu and my Christmas tree will be absent from the holiday due to what seems to be a fatal chew...(ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE COURTESY OF KAREN'S WHIMSY)

Once upon a time in a place not very far away;
The holiday of Christmas was quickly on its way.
A certain little cottage with the title of Quill;
Was waiting for its adorning all quite and still.
Twas two weeks before Christmas and not one decoration appeared all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, save one lone little mouse.
The stockings were still packed in storage with great care;
In hopes that they would soon be drug out of there.
I was nestled all snug in my bed;
While visions of delirium danced in my fevered head.
I sneezed in my 'kerchief and swigged Nyquil from a cap;
And had just settled down for a bit of a nap ;
When out in the barn there arose such a clatter;
That I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the barn I flew like a flash;
Throwing open the doors to the loft I did dash.
The light from the window cast an eerie glow on what appeared to be new fallen snow.
Giving luster to the sprinkling of objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear;
Not miniature sleigh or even eight tiny reindeer,
But one lone little mouse so lively and quick;
That I knew in a moment that I needed to catch him, ick!
I screeched and I shouted and I called him a name!
" Now git before I dance and prance on you, you vixen!"
He ran like a comet, the destructive little blitzen!
I chased him to the top of the stairs and he ran up the wall;
The whole time I am screeching, " Dash away! Dash away! Dash away you fur ball!"
Mad as a wild hurricane I let a wild swing fly;
Hoping mouse would meet obstacle and mount to the sky.
So, up into the rafters that fur ball withdrew,
Leaving a trail full of tree needles as his little feet flew.And then in a twinkling I heard on the old tin roof;
The scurrying and pawing of each little hoof.
(I know, mice have paws, but that did not rhyme)
As I held my aching head and was turning around;
Down from the rafters came the naughty mouse with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot;
And there beside him lay my Christmas tree all tattered and the sight left me standing there as if I'd grown root.
A bundle of tree needles he had bitten and thrown over his back;
Lay scattered on the floor from his hasty attack.
His eyes how they twinkled! He sat there like he was merry!
His cheeks were like little pouches and his nose twitched like a little pink cherry!
His little mouth was drawn up in a the smile of a bow;
And his whiskers glimmered like white snow!
He sat there and held tight in his teeth;
The bristles of tree and front door wreath!
He had a small mouse-ish face and little round belly;
That quivered when he moved and made my knees turn to jelly.
He was chubby and plump, right jolly with himself;
And I cringed when I saw him in spite of myself.
A blink of his eye and the twist of his head;
Soon gave me to know I had more to dread.
He made not a squeak and went straight back to his work;
Filling his nest with all the tree needles; then turned with a jerk,
Twitching his little cherry pink nose;
He gave a nod, and up to the wall he once again he rose.
He sprang to the rafters giving me a squeaking whistle;
Away he scuttled like the down on the thistle.
I exclaimed as he dove out of sight, " You ate my Christmas tree! Oh, good night!"
The man of the house, who improperly stored the tree in the loft of the barn instead of the sealed storage building, will be seeking out a replacement tree for me, preferably one that is mouse free! I'll let you know how THAT turns out. In the meantime, I hope your day is extremely happy, healthy, and merry and may nary a mouse come near your tree!