Mr. Boxhedge’s Garden Centre was tremendously busy when they got there. People were dashing about everywhere and every one of them seemed to be carrying a real tree. Claude and Sir Bobblysock had never seen anything like it before and were terribly confused.
Claude looked around and spotted a friendly looking man flinging a big conifer over his shoulder whilst his friend dithered over several boxes of glittery baubles.
‘Excuse me,’ said Claude, ever so politely, ‘But what is going on?’
At first, the man didn’t hear him properly because he had a pine cone wedged in his ear, but after Claude had helped him remove it, he was very happy to answer Claude’s question.
‘This is a Christmas tree,‘ said the man helpfully pointing at the tree, ‘We are buying it and taking it home to put up in our living room and we’ll decorate it with sparkly lights and these glittery baubles.’
At this, the man’s friend waved the box of baubles she had decided upon and showed off the box of lights she had tucked under her armpit.
Claude thought that all of this sounded like a very strange thing to be doing, but of course as soon as Sir Bobblysock had seen the glittery baubles, he wanted to have his own set and a Christmas tree to go with it.
Sir Bobblysock was Claude’s best friend in the whole world and he didn’t like to disappoint him (it brought on one of his headaches if he got upset), so he fished around in his beret to see if he had brought any money with him.
Eventually, after several minutes scrabbling about in his hat and removing his emergency bone baguette, a tea pot, several wrinkled conkers and small trumpet, he found his piggy bank. He gave it a good shake, but all that fell out was some fluff, an old boiled sweet and a few coins which were certainly not enough to buy a real Christmas tree.
Sir Bobblysock looked dreadfully sad. He went all limp and mournful like a damp chicken.
‘I know!’ said Claude as a good idea pinged into his head, ‘There’s enough money here to buy a box of baubles. Let’s buy some and take them home with us. There’s bound to be something in Mr and Mrs Shineyshoes’ house we can decorate!’
Sir Bobblysock thought this was a wonderful idea and lost his limpness immediately!
So Claude bought the baubles and the two friends dashed home as quickly as they could, both feeling very excited indeed.
Back at home, Claude and Sir Bobblysock looked everywhere for something to hang the baubles from, but as hard as they looked they couldn’t find anything. Certainly nothing as lovely as a real Christmas tree!
It was while they were having their afternoon cup of tea and slice of cake (today the cake was a raspberry pavlova) that Claude noticed for the first time that there were several trees in the back garden and that some of them would be perfect for the baubles to dangle from.
Quickly he and Sir Bobblysock gobbled the last of their meringue, drained their teacups and dashed outside to try and bring one of the trees into the living room.
Well, they pushed and they heaved and the pulled and they struggled, but they just could not shift any of the trees at all!
It was as if they were rooted to the ground or something...
Sir Bobblysock was starting to get one of his headaches, so Claude knew he had to think of something fast. It was then that he had an idea so good, it made all his previous Good Ideas seem rather silly indeed.
‘If we can’t bring a tree inside to the living room,‘ he said whilst waggling his ears proudly and excitedly, ‘Why don’t we bring the living room outside to the trees?!’
Sir Bobblysock was rarely speechless, but what Claude had just said left him so that all he could do was stand in the snow with his mouth hanging open.
‘Come on!’ said Claude, marching back into the house, ‘Let’s get cracking!’
So Sir Bobblysock bounced after Claude and they started work...
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Over the next two hours, 112 Waggy Avenue ( where Claude lived) was buzzing with activity.
Together Claude and Sir Bobblysock worked themselves into a frenzy carrying all the furniture from the living room out into the garden.
Out came the sofa and the armchairs!
Out came the pouffe and the sideboard!
Out came all the nicknacks and the fireplace!
Even the flying duck ornaments came out and were hammered into a tree trunk.
Sir Bobblysock and Claude made sure that everything was just right, so that it looked for all the world as if the living room had been magically picked up and placed into the garden.
Once they were happy with the furniture, the two friends set about decorating.
The box of baubles didn’t go very far so Claude raided all the cupboards and drawers for anything he could find that could dangle and look festive.
He found quite a lot and came out into the garden with armfuls of cutlery, jewelry and even some of Mr and Mrs Shineyshoes’ shiniest shoes.
Sir Bobblysock, who was feeling rather tired now, sat in an armchair and supervised Claude hanging all the ornaments. It took quite a time, but the effect was marvelous.
But suddenly, the grandfather clock started to chime in it’s new position by the flower bed - it was almost time for Mr and Mrs Shineyshoes to get home from work!
Luckily, everything was just about finished so Claude (who was now also exhausted) quickly ran into the kitchen, grabbed his cosy bed, hauled it out into the garden and positioned it in front of the fireplace which had been strewn with forks, baubles and a couple of pairs of well polished brogues.
He leapt in, tucked his beret under the pillow and snuggled down under the cover and immediately fell asleep.
He was just in time too as at that very moment, Mr and Mrs Shineyshoes walked through the front door.
‘Goodness me!’ said Mr Shineyshoes in surprise, ‘All of our furniture seems to be in the garden!’
“I say! So it does!’ said Mrs Shineyshoes, ‘ And it looks as if someone has been tying all my jewels to it, and our cutlery!’
“And our shiniest shoes!’ said Mr Shineyshoes.
‘But whoever could have done it?’ asked Mrs Shineyshoes stepping out into the garden, ‘Do you think perhaps Claude had something to do with it?’
Mr Shineyshoes stepped out into the garden too and laughed a hearty laugh.
‘HA!HA!HA!’ he laughed, ‘ I don’t think Claude did all of this,’ he said, ‘Look - he’s fast asleep in his bed!’
But even though he was fast asleep, Claude couldn’t help smiling a little smile to himself at a job very well done!
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©Alex T Smith 2010
There were TWO workshops and Claude and Sir Bobblysock went to both as they didn't have anything else to do and Sir Bobblysock wanted to keep an eye on everything.
