MsCharlotte's Stuff: Christmas

Chapter 9: The Snake Nest

The donkey gazed at Claus from large brown eyes. He rolled his lips back from his big yellow teeth and swung his heavy head.

"So it's you!" sighed Claus. "You made the witch angry and she has bewitched you. Now what are we to do?"

The donkey brayed piteously.

Claus remembered the magic ring the elves had given him. It could be used once to change a creature's shape. Claus took the ring off his finger and slipped it on the long tail of the donkey. He twisted the ring three times, saying, "Change to your natural shape."

The donkey vanished. Patrick Tweedleknees stood there rubbing his ears. "Am I glad to get rid of those donkey ears," he cried. "They itched terribly and I had nothing to scratch with."

"Perhaps I should have left you as you were," said Claus. "It would have kept you out of trouble. Now we have used the ring and the arrow and still have not met the Pigwidgen."

"Never mind," said Tweedleknees airily. "We have other weapons."

"Yes," said Claus. "But you must be careful and control you temper."

Tweedleknees promised to be very, very good and they continued on their way. Now it was truly cold. The snow was many feet deep. As they trudged on with their heads bent against the wind they saw a rabbit shivering in a snow drift.

"How cold he looks," murmured Claus.

"I will warm him under my coat!" said Tweedleknees. He reached for the little creature. The rabbit took one look at the elf and scurried away.

"What gratitude!" exclaimed the elf.

"Never mind," said Claus. "He doesn't know what's good for him."

"I'll show him," growled Tweedleknees. He ran after the rabbit. The faster he ran the faster the rabbit ran. Claus ran after them both, shouting, "Let him go! What does it matter?"

Suddenly the earth gave way and Tweedleknees plunged headlong into a deep pit while the rabbit went merrily on his way. Claus crept up and stared over the edge of the pit.

"I've fallen into some kind of a trap," puffed Tweedleknees. "Here, help me out."

Claus leaned down but he could not reach the elf. He dragged up a fallen log and dropped one end into the pit.

But Tweedleknees screeched. "It's not a trap! It's a snake nest!" Claus peered over the edge and saw hundreds of snakes wiggling around the elf.

"Climb the log," shouted Claus.

But Tweedleknees was too petrified to move. He stood there staring as if hypnotized, too scared even to shake. The snakes were annoyed at being awakened from their long winter sleep. The twisted and curled into a tight circle around the elf.

Claus pounded on the snakes with the log but they slid out of the way. He shouted and threw rocks into the pit. But the only one hurt was poor Tweedleknees who was too frightened to duck.

The snakes sleepy eyes glittered. Their pointed tongues darted in and out. It was clear they were getting very, very angry.