How did the chameleon get on the Christmas Tree?

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 27 Dec 2024
  • 138 reads
13 comments
 

What a surprise to see
a chameleon on a little Christmas tree!
She’d read a funny chameleon tale
and played a game with
the toy’s (a gift supplied
long ago by a paper company) tail tied
to a a long string of tinsel
‘Put the tinsel back,’ I asked
before they left.

Two days later I looked up
and, bewildered,
saw sitting aloft
atop the little tree
the chameleon large and soft
still attached to its tinsel
elongated tail.
Was it an
immense red whale
landed from space,
slithering down?:
incongruous
out of place,
mysterious!

[IP: Unexpected Visitor/s]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Christmas
Humour
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Nolan on

Must have been very confusing to the little guy! Somehow I didn't think you get chameleons in Britain (Wales then?) Christmas for us was a bit of a non-event, it was just me and my brother. No problem there.

Hope they don't make too much noise at New Year's so we can sleep! && Nolan

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

No, we don't get chameleons. The story she read was by someone who had raised her children in Zimbabwe. Chameleons in the gardens there, I gather - and where you are in South Africa?

Children everywhere are intrigued by hearing about chameleons, and in the story she read their colour-changing was imagined more exotic! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Nolan on

I only remember seeing chameleons as a child the boys next door had one for a pet. Couldn't run away always on the curtains and potplants and so but I the think they must be basically extinct, at least around here. Rather a thing for kids to see, apart from the changing colours for camouflage, they move only very slowly, the eyes move independantly and the exremely long tongue flicked catching smali nsects like frogs too. - food I know some fish do it also - the camo colour changes - maybe like Sole. Something flat kind of fish.

See you x Nolan

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. I think they have sticky feet too to help them walk up walls and across ceilings? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

What a surprise that must have been Rhiannon! Maybe the person 'putting it back' didn't realise the chameleon wasn't supposed to be attached to the tinsel! A lovely IP response!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. She's young, and I'm not sure what happened whether it was fun or dreaminesss,. The tinsel had come from below the little tree. When I showed her the photo she was amused, sort-of remembering, I think and enjoying the fun of me having such a surprise suddenly! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That is a lovely story :0) And the photo is BRILLIANT :0) It has a kindness to it, that the chameleon is welcomed onto the tree

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

smiley It was so funny that I hadn't noticed it for a couple of days! He does seem a bit large for the little tree, but it didn't topple over. She must have put it on very carefully I think! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That you didn't notice for a couple of days shows HOW BRILLIANTLY CHAMELEONS BLEND IN :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

smiley Ha! I suppose in this case a bright red chamelion was suited to camouflage (I had difficultiy checking how to spell that!) amongst Christmas decorations, though it also is a pointer to my not noticing nature, as long as the tree vaguely looked OK! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

"What a surprise to see
a chameleon on a little Christmas tree!"

An unexpected and intriguing story captured so poetically, Rhiannon.

Can't recall a Christmas tale involving a chameleon before.

Yes, blending in, of course.

A lovely read. Adroitly done.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, again, Paul. An unexpected sight, an amusing cause! Rhiannon