This morning a cat got
Stuck in our tree.
Dad said, “Right, just
Leave it to me.”
The tree was wobbly,
The tree was tall.
Mum said, “For goodness’
Sake don’t fall!”
“Fall?” scoffed Dad,
“A climber like me?
Child’s play, this is!
You wait and see.”
He got out the ladder
From the garden shed.
It slipped. He landed
In the flower bed.
“Never mind,” said Dad,
Brushing the dirt
Off his hair and his face
And his trousers and his shirt,
“We’ll try Plan B. Stand
Out of the way!”
Mum said, “Don’t fall
Again, O.K.?”
“Fall again?” said Dad.
“Funny joke!”
Then he swung himself up
On a branch. It broke.
Dad landed wallop
Back on the deck.
Mum said, “Stop it,
You’ll break your neck!”
“Rubbish!” said Dad.
“Now we’ll try Plan C.
Easy as winking
To a climber like me!”
Then he climbed up high
On the garden wall.
Guess what?
He didn’t fall!
He gave a great leap
And he landed flat
In the crook of the tree-trunk —
Right on the cat!
The cat gave a yell
And sprang to the ground,
Pleased as Punch to be
Safe and sound.
So it’s smiling and smirking,
Smug as can be,
But poor old Dad’s
Still
Stuck
Up
The
Tree!
Summary
One day a cat climbed a tree too high. It got stuck in the tree. It couldn’t come down without help. The tree was tall and shaky. Dad got ready to rescue the cat. He didn’t listen to mother’s warning about his safety. He thought he was a great climber, and bringing the cat down was an easy game for him.
Dad brought out the ladder from the shed. But as he climbed it, it slipped. He fell to the ground in the flowerbed. But he didn’t accept defeat. He brushed the dirt off his clothes and face. He got ready to try his second plan. He was confident of success this time.
Dad climbed the tree and sat on a branch. But it broke under his weight, and he fell down again. Mum was afraid he would break his neck. But plucky Dad decided to try plan C. He climbed up the garden wall safely. There from he jumped to the bend in the tree trunk right on the cat.
The cat gave a loud shriek and fell on the ground. It suffered no injury. It was smiling and safe. But poor old Dad got stuck up the tree in place of the cat.