The Strawberry Christmas Adventure

It was Christmas Eve and Katie was in the kitchen with her Daddy and Ted.

‘This is going to be the best Christmas ever,’ said Katie. She was putting strawberries into a bowl.

‘Now let’s add the cream,’ said Daddy. He helped Katie pour cream over the fruit.

‘Quickly,’ said Katie. They had to finish before Mummy brought Katie’s sister Jane home from dancing.

‘Chocolate,’ said Katie. She helped Daddy grate some chocolate and put it over the pudding.

‘That looks brilliant, Katie,’ said Daddy. ‘I think we deserve a drink after all that work. Hot chocolate?’

‘Yes, please,’ said Katie. She put Ted under her arm and carried him through to the living room. They sat on the sofa with lots of cushions and pillows. Bert the cat was sleeping by the fireplace.

Daddy came in with a mug of hot chocolate for Katie and a glass of mulled wine for himself.

‘Is it all right if I watch the rugby on TV, Katie?’ he asked.

She talked to Ted. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘Ted doesn’t mind.’

Daddy changed the channels and sipped his mulled wine. He watched a bit of rugby while Katie and Ted cuddled.

Soon Daddy was fast asleep.

SNORE.

Katie looked at Ted.

SNORE.

Ted looked at Katie.

SNORE!

They both started giggling.

Daddy was snoring so loudly that Bert woke up!

‘Miaow’ he said.

‘Sssh!’ said Katie. ‘You’ll wake Daddy up.’

‘Miaow!’ said Bert.

Ted went ‘Sssh!’

Bert got up. He stuck his tongue out at Katie and Ted, and went into the kitchen.

‘What a naughty cat!’ said Katie.

‘Grr,’ said Ted.

SNORE, said Daddy.

CLINK! went the kitchen.

‘What was that?’ asked Katie.

Ted didn’t know. He thought they should investigate, so Katie and Ted got off the sofa and crept through to the kitchen.

There was the kitchen table.
There were the kitchen chairs.
There was the kitchen sink.

But WHERE was the pudding?

‘I left it right here,’ said Katie. The strawberry pudding had gone!

Ted looked everywhere.

On the window-sill? No.

In the cupboard? No.

Under the table? No.

‘Miaow,’ said Bert.

Balanced on his head, he had a bowl of scrummy yummy strawberries!

‘What a naughty cat!’ said Katie.

Katie went to get the pudding but Bert jumped and climbed up high on to the shelves.

‘Get down!’ said Katie.

Ted barked at the naughty cat.

Bert went, ‘Miaow!’, and climbed even higher.

‘Get down!’ said Katie.

Bert jumped down…and ran into the living room.

Katie and Ted ran after him.

SNORE. ‘Miaow!’

SNORE. ‘Miaow!’

The naughty cat with the bowl of strawberries was sitting on Daddy’s head. And he still hadn’t woken up!

SNORE. ‘Miaow!’

‘Get down!’ said Katie.

Ted started to climb onto the sofa to get the strawberries, when everybody heard a strange sound.

It sounded like…FLOOMPH!

Ted didn’t know what it was. Bert didn’t know what it was. Katie looked around the room…and she saw what it was.

In the fireplace, she could see two red trouser legs and two shiny black boots.

‘Excuse me,’ said a voice. ‘I’ve got stuck in your chimney.’

‘Santa, is that you?’ asked Katie.

‘Yes, Katie. I’ve brought you so many presents this year that I can’t fit through your chimney. I’ve got stuck!’

Katie looked at Ted. Ted looked at Katie.

They grabbed hold of Santa’s legs.

‘One, two, three…PULL!’

Nothing happened.

‘Come and help us, Bert.’

Bert put the strawberry bowl down on Daddy’s head and went to help Katie.

SNORE, said Daddy.

‘One, two three…PULL!’

Nothing happened!

Just then the front door opened. It was Mummy and Jane.

Mummy went through to the kitchen. Ted ran and fetched Jane.

‘Look,’ said Katie. ‘Santa’s stuck in the chimney.’

SNORE, said Daddy.
‘Why is there a bowl of strawberries on his head?’ asked Jane.

‘Never mind that,’ said Katie, ‘Santa’s stuck in the chimney.’
So Katie and Jane, and Ted and Bert, all grabbed hold of Santa’s legs.

‘One, two, three…PULL!’

FLOOMPH. FLOOMPH. POP!

Santa shot out of the chimney in a big cloud of soot. And then his bag of presents came bouncing out behind him.

‘Wow!’ said Jane.

‘Hello,’ said Santa. ‘Thank you for getting me out of the chimney, Katie. Thank you all.’

He started to give out presents. A book for Katie, a new handbag for Jane, a new bow tie for Ted and even a chocolate mouse for Bert.

‘Why is there a bowl of strawberries on that man’s head?’ asked Santa.

‘Oh, that’s just Daddy,’ said Katie. Santa had a present for him, too, and one for Mummy.

‘Girls!’ Mummy called.

Santa said, ‘Oops! Time for me to go! Merry Christmas Katie, merry Christmas Jane and Bert and Ted! Merry Christmas…and a happy new year!’

Santa quickly magicked himself back up the chimney: FLOOMPH!

Mum came through the door. ‘Hello, Katie, did you have a good evening?’

‘Yes! Santa came and he gave us all presents, look!’
‘That’s very nice, Katie. Did you make something for our tea?’
‘Yes! I made a big bowl of strawberries and cream with chocolate on top!’
‘Oh yes, I can see…but why is it on Daddy’s head?’

SNORE… ‘Hmm? What?’ said Daddy. ‘Did I miss something?’
Everybody laughed. ‘Merry Christmas!’
At last, it was time for tea.