Santa was usually tied up at Christmas, but the Christmas that Santa’s scarf unravelled, everyone was strung along and hung around rather more than usual ! This holiday season was no different - Santa was in such a Christmas rush, that his scarf got caught on a holly bush. Santa had been on his way home from the shops, when he felt something tug. Suddenly, just as his scarf began to snag, Santa let go of his shopping bag. Out spilled some of his shopping, three bags of potatoes burst open and out fell a mag. Just like a ball, across the hall, oranges, apples and lemons flew through the air, and splattered like water bombs on the wall. The plums were so like snowballs, they grew bigger and bigger. Before long, they’d covered the grotto in so much snow, Santa had to be rescued, dug out by a digger ! When Santa went to pick them up, again, another inch of his scarf unravelled, as he bent down to the drain. As he gave another tug, just like the rug, a piece of wool came undone. Within minutes, half of his scarf was gone ! To get a pair of scissors, quickly from the house, Santa rushed to the grotto door (scaring away the mouse !). A length of string followed him, so Santa was in knots before the festivities even began to begin ! As the wool from Santa’s scarf unthreaded, off over the table and upstairs it headed. The mice played skipping under Santa’s chair, as a length of rope zig - zagged everywhere. Soon, he’d be left with nothing to wear, I swear ! Santa began to feel the pinch, as his trousers fell down another inch ! The whole Christmas was turning out to be somewhat silly - hardly surprising, since Santa had no scarf to wear and the weather was considerably chilly ! Before long, even his socks were going. Outside, it was still snowing, yet Santa’s belly button was soon showing. Santa started to shiver - he still had cards and presents to deliver ! The temperature fell, so Santa caught a cold as well. The Christmas fairy was shocked how Christmas that year, flew. Blushing more than a robin red breast, Santa’s embarrassment grew, too ! Santa only wished that he’d remembered to wash his undies (though usually he rested and had fun on fun days, like these, on Sundays !). Seeing Santa’s false teeth chatter, Mrs. Christmas came along and asked, “What’s the matter ?”. She didn’t need to look much farther - Santa would much have preferred to have been unwrapping presents, rather. Mrs. Christmas giggled as Santa wriggled. By now, all his clothes were nothing but, a ball of string, which could be cut ! Although the elastic in his underwear had snapped and fall down, Santa didn’t seem to care if he showed his knobbly knees, all around town ! For all the townsfolk, dinner was, of course, twice as merry (must have been the Christmas sherry !). At least the Christmas that Santa’s scarf unravelled turned out to be exceptionally extra - ordinairy !.
Tied Up In Knots
Write 25 sentences which include the word “not”, then rewrite them again, using an apostrophe as a suffix.
How Long Is A Piece Of String ?
* Teacher’s note - this story can be used as a Maths exercise prompt. Demonstrate divisions, %, fractions etc, using string lengths.
© Jacqueline Richards 2008
