SAMMY THE CHRISTMAS SNAKE by Grandpa Tucker

With the family watching Snake TV,
Sammy asked, "What's this I see?"
His mother said, "You'll never know.
It's not for snakes, that stuff is snow.

"Our snake blood needs the summer sun,
In snow we'll freeze and we'll be done.
So in winter months we hide away.
While there is snow, inside snakes stay."

But Sammy dreamed of the frosty flakes.
His doubting mind said, "Goodness sakes,
Just sneak away, no one will know
And have some fun up in that snow."

He threw on some skin he'd shed
And took the cover from his bed.
Then he vowed, "When the coast is clear
I'm up the hole and out of here."

There it was so soft and light
The flakes all sparkled shiny white.
He wiggled in it, to and fro,
This little snake just loved the snow.

He slid along and made snow scoops,
Grabbed his tail and did snow loops.
As evening bells began to ring
He tried to do the angel thing.

The sun was gone and darkness fell
And Sammy didn't feel so well.
It was only then he did discover
He had lost his extra skin and cover.

Big chills began to shake his tail,
Soon Sammy's breath began to fail.
He flicked his tongue but it was froze
And beads of ice formed on his nose.

He couldn't wiggle side to side,
He was so stiff he had to slide.
He thought. "I must do something quick,
Before I turn into a stick!"

Then all at once, straight from the sky,
A little sleigh came sliding by.
He thought "The answer to my prayer,
I might thaw out if I get on there."

He saw some hairy creatures near,
But coldness seemed to numb his fear.
He reached the sleigh and his hopes soared,
As painfully he crawled on board.

But it didn't help, he just felt colder,
And then he saw a plastic holder.
It could shield him from the weather,
But stuck in it was a stick of leather.

He wrapped himself around the grip,
Pulled out and tossed the leather strip.
Then slipped into this spot, tail first,
And hoped that he'd survived the worst.

A great big man came crawling in,
With a long white beard and silly grin.
Then the hairy creatures turned his way
And he realized they pulled this sleigh.

He took a closer look around
And was amazed at what he found:
A bright red suit and reindeer paws,
Great Snakes, the guy was Santa Claus!!!

So, as poor Sammy tried to hide,
Santa commenced his famous ride.
He shook the reigns, then made the call,
"Up away, up away, up away all!!"

Sam thought the sky was getting colder.
He switched, his head down in the holder.
He hoped that Santa would never know,
As his tail was the only part to show.

He'd hear a "ho" and then a hoof,
Each time they landed on a roof.
But soon they'd be back in the sky
With very little time gone by.

Then he heard, "Get going Prancer,
You're slowing down, quit slacking, Dancer.
To keep your attention on this trip,
I think I'll have to crack the whip."

He grabbed his whip so casually,
He'd done it many times, you see.
The whip felt limp and kinda clammy,
Cause in his hand was little Sammy.

An attention crack he'd never missed,
This time no crack, this whip just hissed.
As Santa stared, with great surprise,
The whip stared back with scared snake eyes.

Santa cried, "For goodness sake
My whip has turned into a snake."
Poor Sammy found these words to say,
"I was so cold I stowed away.

"It's winter, snakes should not be out,
But I yearned to know what snow's about.
Mom warned I'd freeze and that was true,
I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you."

Santa said, "Here's what we'll do,
I'll count on you to help us through.
Before this darkness is all gone
Play like a whip and hiss 'em on."

Too bad that all the world was missing
Santa yelling and Sammy hissing.
The reindeer laughed and sang a round
Of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town."

The night just seemed to fly right by,
Delivering gifts across the sky.
Dear Santa carefully checked the list
As he made sure no child was missed.

Wow! Suddenly the morning sun,
And Santa's shout, "That's it, we're done.
Now my wife and the elves will know
We rescued Sammy from the snow."

At Santa's home they told the story
And Sammy reveled in the glory,
But still he shivered when twas told
Of his scary rescue from the cold.

Santa's wife got her knitting box,
Made Sammy Snake two tight tube socks.
The red one was for him to wear,
The green to carry as a spare. Santa said, "Now you must say.
Will you go home or will you stay?
I'll bet your mother is sick with care.
If you wish, my friend, we'll fly you there."

Sammy said, "I would like to go
Back to my mom, cause I miss her so.
I'll warn my family of what I found,
And make them all stay underground.

"I didn't mean to run away.
I'd like to go back home to stay.
Since mom is mad, it might be better
If you would write a little letter."

Santa said, "The thing's all set,
This message goes on the internet,
'Prepare a welcome for your son,
The whole world's proud of what he's done.' "

When he got home his mom had missed him
So all his family hugged and hissed him
Then Santa called him, "Snake Hero,"
And said, "here's something you should know:

"The twenty fifth of each December,
Our special ride we'll all remember.
With every Christmas trip we make
We'll think of you, our Christmas snake."

Now Sammy the Snake is back home there
In a green tube sock and his underwear,
He's warm and happy and his mom knows
He'll stay inside each time it snows.