The Third Day of Christmoose by the Editor, Part 3 of 12

Atay was now most thoroughly awake.

He bounded up and at a goodly pace

Did in direction of young Jason’s make

The while the merry moose did give him chase.

Then after sev’ral minutes they did go

They came upon young Jason in the snow.

“Halloo, halloo, halloo!” exclaimed the pair

Of the young master’s lively lifelong friends.

“Mmf, mmf!” the boy replied, for scarf was there

Around his face with bells sewed on the ends.

His mittened hands could not the scarf remove,

But soon the ape’s hands did his state improve.

“Atay and Adirondack!  Welcome sight!

On such a sorry day as we now see.

I knew that if I wished with all my might

My faithful forest friends would come to me.

Atay, what shall we do in all this snow?

If you’ve ideas, please put me in the know.”

“Ideas have I indeed, young Jason.  Hark!

The snow is not so bad as it may seem.

If used correctly, it can be a lark.

Now watch as I unfold my snowy scheme!”

Then the gorilla ‘gan to move the snow

And by and by a mountain there did grow.

“Oh, wow!” both boy and moose exclaimed as one.

For there before them was a wondrous sight!

Atay had engineered a mound of fun

A good three stories towering in height!

“We lack one thing to make our game complete:

A shining sleigh ‘pon which ourselves to seat.”

“Fear not!” exclaimed the moose to his good friends.

“My reindeer cousin gave to me a sleigh.

I’ll go and fetch it whilst Atay attends

To his great snowy mountainous display.”

Off in a blink the merry moose did go,

And in a wink returned with sleigh in tow.

“A lovely sight!” our ape then did exclaim.

“‘Tis almost right for my impressive plan.”

“‘Tis almost right?  Why do you it defame?”

The moose did ask.  “I thought you’d be a fan!”

“Remember now these words that Atay tells:

A sleigh is not a sleigh without sleigh bells.”

“Alas!” then sighed the moose with some chagrin.

“You are, of course, quite right, Atay the Ape.

But can we still our merriment begin,

Or are we in a fix with no escape?”

The moose, as in defeat, his antlers slumped,

When Jason to his feet at once he jumped.

“The bells upon my scarf could be employed

For sleigh bells!  Could they not, my furry friends?

And in such fashion better be enjoyed

Than are they now upon my scarf’s long ends.”

“That’s brilliant!” cried the ape all full of glee.

“‘Tis obvious you’re taking after me.”

Editor's Note:  The adventures of Atay the Ape, Adirondack the Moose, and Jason the Human Boy will continue in tomorrow's edition of Songs of Eretz Poetry Review.