Breakfast at Castle McToot

The mice all woke up, early and bright

And checked poor Sachmo had had a good night.

He sat up in bed. So much better

‘Sachmo. You’re well. I think we should get a

Hearty breakfast to set you right.

You must be hungry after such a fright.’

Sachmo nodded and got out of bed,

While Twangy looked at the bump on his head.

‘Come on everyone. I think it’s this way,’

And off they went to start their day.

They wandered downstairs to find their friend.

They walked the house from end to end

And went through rooms very fast

Until they found the kitchen at last.

Hamish was standing stirring a pot.

‘Good morning, young mice. Yon porridge is hot’

‘Porridge?’ they said. ‘We’ve never had that,’

While Hamish filled bowls with a great big splat.

Now the mice had never had porridge before

And so they weren’t terribly sure

How to eat the thick stodgy mess,

But they each of them tried their very best.

Bongo picked up a small, salt pot.

Then spotted the sugar, not sure what

He should have with porridge the best.

He tried them both then had a test.

The salt had made it awfully bitter

And made him jump so his elbow hit a

Corner of the table, and, Oh no!

Porridge landed on his best bongo.

Twangy was careful with his bowl

And decided that hot was better than cold.

He bent down low and thought he’d cry.

He still got porridge on his fancy new tie.

Fiddlina ate hers bending down low

But still got dollops in her nice shiny bow.

Tich sat and watched from one to the other

As Tina flicked hers at her brother.

Tupper endured it as long as he dare,

Then tipped his porridge in Tina’s hair.

Quiffy watched the mice carefully

To try to figure out a way that he

Could eat his porridge. Oh despair!

He still combed a blob of it into his hair.

Keys took his gloves off before tucking in.

He scooped and he stirred with a terrible din.

With every scrape of food from the bowl

He got more porridge on his fresh bread roll.

Sachmo of course, faired no better.

He thought his needed to be wetter.

He poured in milk. Stirred it round

And half his porridge went on the ground.

Monty stood back and watched a bit

Then a dollop of porridge swiftly hit

Him on the specs. He left the fuss

And took some toast to the Bongo bus.

Hamish stood and watched in awe.

He’d never seen such a mess before.

‘you poor wee mice have missed a treat.

It’s obvious ye’ve never had porridge to eat.

Let’s get cleaned up and make a snack

Then take a walk to the lake and back.’

The mice washed and swept and wiped and cleaned

Until the kitchen once more gleamed.

Castle McToot and a New Friend

Meet nine little mice who travel the land.

Collectively called The Bongo Mouse Band.

There’s Bongo, Keys, Tupper, Tich & Tina,

And Sachmo, Twangy, Quiffy, Fiddlina.

They’re making their name wherever they go

With their own impromptu mousical show.

Monty Snuffles drove the new bus.

He drove it with pride and minimum fuss.

He stopped now and then to wind up the key,

And the band all got off. They wanted to see

All the sights as they trundled along.

Then back on the bus with a Bongoly song.

Their first trip out was a very long way.

It took them almost the entire day.

They travelled through mountains, lots of grass,

Looked at lakes, and watched cows go passed.

As it got dark Monty looked for a place

Where they’d spend the night. He slowed the pace

Of the Bongo bus, so the mice could see

Where a nice place to spend the night would be.

They came to a castle with lakes and a wood.

‘This is nice.’ Said Bongo.  ‘It might be good’

The mice all got off and looked at the view.

They looked at the castle. ‘I wonder who

Lives here,’ Said Keys, and knocked on the door.

Then gently pushed it with a quizzical paw.

‘Hello!’ he shouted. ‘Anyone here?’

Then they heard a noise, really quite queer.

‘Listen,’ said Sax. ‘What on earth is that sound?’

And the mice all stopped and listened around.

A dance tune was playing but what had they heard?

They all stood and listened, not saying a word.

They looked round the room, and all that they saw

Ornaments and armour on a plinth on the floor.

They all looked around at the bits on display.

Some books and vases and things on a tray.

The trio all went to look at the armour.

Tina was worried in case it might harm her.

She looked at it with a worrisome stare.

‘I hope it’s not real,’ she said and hid

Behind a very large bin with a very large lid.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Tupper, ‘They’ll do you no harm,’

As he tapped at the armour and off fell an arm.

Tich climbed up to get a good look,

And poked at the armour and undid a hook.

The helmet wobbled. ‘Be Careful,’ he said

As the helmet fell off on to poor Sachmo’s head.

Poor Sachmo was stunned and stood terribly quiet.

‘Let’s pull it off.’ Said Bongo. ‘Just try it.’

Keys grabbed the helmet tight on both sides.

The harder he tugged, made Sachmo cross eyed.

‘It’s no use.’ He said.  ‘It’s stuck on there hard.’

‘I know.’ said Fiddlina. ‘We need some lard.’

‘Where can we get some?’ Said Tich looking round.

Then they all stopped short as they heard a sound.

‘Hello’ said a voice. ‘Do you all need a hand?

I’m Hamish McToot and this is my land’

‘So pleased to meet you’ said Quiffy, ‘Our friend

Is in trouble. Could we ask you to lend

Us some lard to help can get him free?’

‘Of course’ Said Hamish. ‘I’ll just go and see.’

Off went the mouse while poor Sachmo sat.

Desperate to be rid of the big metal hat.

‘Here you go,’ said Hamish, and he handed around

Huge glops of lard which they all spread around

The helmet and Sachmo and gave a huge tug,

And out popped his head and he sat on the rug.

‘Are you ok?’ Hamish asked. ‘You look a bit dazed,’

As Sachmo sat, his eyes slightly glazed.

‘He needs a lie down. Let’s get him to bed

He’s had quite a shock with that blow to the head.’

They went up the stairs, down a long corridor

Until Hamish opened a huge wooden door.

‘Bring him in here. The bed’s made up new

And the window affords a wonderful view’.

The mice tucked Sachmo in nice and tight

And hoped that he’d have a very good night.

They all went downstairs with their new found friend,

To leave Sachmo alone to sleep and to mend.

‘You’ll all have to stop over tonight as well.

You’re all tired and hungry. That I can tell’

Hamish showed them all where to sleep,

And before long they were all sleeping deep

And dreaming of tomorrow, adventures anew

With Hamish McToots and his wonderful view.

What will they do when Sachmo is well?

Well only tomorrow and time will tell.

A Very Special Celebration

Fiddlina rushed in. Her face all aglow

‘it’s a boy!’ she yelled. And twiddled her bow.

The band gave a cheer and all settled down.

‘What do we do?’ said Tich with a frown.

‘How about we bake a nice cake?’

‘Or something cuddly. What can we make?’

‘We can always make a nice big card?’

Said Quiffy. ‘That won’t be too hard.’

The mice all nodded and scurried away

To get string and paper, card and clay.

Quiffy laid out lots of bits of card

And stuck them with tape to keep them hard.

Keys and Bongo got big felt pens

And drew lots of lines at all the ends.

Sachmo got lots of glitter and glue

And stuck most of it to the top of his shoe.

Quiffy started drawing a teddy bear

But wasn’t too sure what teddy bear’s wear.

Twangy thought hard about what he could do

Then decided to colour in lots of blue.

Tich thought hard and wrote a few words

While Tupper drew lots of pretty bluebirds

Fiddlina and Tina had lots of fun

Gluing flowers all over, until it was done.

They were all very pleased with their work at the end,

And off to the post box the card to send

What had they put in the card you say?

They’re celebrating a special day.

Congratulations to Kate and Wills

Young baby George brought lot of thrills.

The mice hope that lots of joy he’ll bring,

And can’t wait to see young George become king

We're back real soon

The Bongo Band are making plans.

They’ve not forgotten all their fans.

They’re busy playing, having fun,

Adventures to be told to everyone.

So please come back. The band are well

And soon will have a tale to tell

Of Mouse adventures, tales and song.

They promise you – it won’t be long

A Mousey Valentine's Day

The mice loaded the bus for a special gig.

They hoped the crowd would be happy and big.

They’d been booked for a very special mouse dance,

Full of presents and dancing and lots of romance.

They got to the hall, and set up the stands

As mice wandered in all holding  hands.

Scriffy scribe sat at a table

By the door from where he was able

To collect the money for the mice to get in

And he popped it all in to a big tin.

Monty was giving the tickets out

So he knew they’d all paid without a doubt.

The annual Valentine’s Day Mouse Ball

Was held in a big, decorated, balloon filled hall.

With tables on one side and space on the other

For mice to step up and dance with each other.

The lights went down, they started to play,

And the mice at the tables started to sway.

While the band played the other mice ate,

Lovely meals sat on every plate.

The band moved round the room to play for the mice.

A mouse serenade was awfully nice.

Keys had left the piano at home.

An accordion he’d taken allowed him to roam

Around the tables, where all the mice dined

To play for them all as they sat to unwind.

While Fiddlina was fiddling to two small mice,

She had to stop and look at them twice.

She heard a splash and a little ding

At the bottom of a glass she saw a ring.

Sachmo played trumpet around the hall

When he thought he saw a little mouse fall

On to the floor and on to one knee.

His mouse friend went red. ‘You can’t mean me’

The Triangle Trio were clanging they way

Around the tables, for Valentine’s Day.

They saw a mouse with a single red rose

Which he put underneath his girlfriend’s nose.

Bongo tucked his drums up under his arm

Dressed in his tux, he was terribly calm.

2 mice were sitting staring hard

At great big pink, heart shaped card. 

Twangy Doodles was strumming his way

Around the tables, he’d stop and play.

On one table he saw a great big box,

Full to the brim with heart shaped chocs.

Quiffy was playing his sax very low,

Romantic music’s so hard to blow.

He saw 2 mice holding paws through the meal.

He thought it was odd, and turned fast on his heel.

After the dinner the band got on stage.

And the other mice danced to tunes all the rage.

Monty Snuffles was cutting a rug

The jive,  the waltz  and a mouse jitterbug

Even Scriffy joined in the fun

Dancing around with everyone.

The mice all had such wonderful time

They were awfully sad to hear the clock chime

The party ended right on midnight,

Then all the mice went, soon out of sight.

The band then packed everything away.

It had been an interesting Valentines day.

The girls were all smiling, they thought it romantic.

The Boys thought it soppy and got on the van, quick.