The Cat on the Mat is Flat (12 page)

One day while out walking

by the sea,

I saw a sign saying,

‘BEWARE OF THE BEE.

YOU'LL GET STUNG

UNLESS YOU FLEE!'

But before I could flee,

I saw the bee.

And, even worse,

that bee saw me.

I had to run.

I had to flee.

As fast as my feet

could carry me.

As I ran I saw Terry D

and he looked up and he saw me.

‘Why do you run so fast?' said he.

‘Where are you going, Andy G?'

‘The bee!' I cried.

‘Can't you see?

That evil bee is after me.

From that bee I must flee

or it will surely bee-sting me.'

‘I see, I see,' said Terry D.

‘I see the bee.

I see that I must also flee.

I'll come with you, Andy G.'

And so Terry D ran after me.

We ran and ran quite speedily.

We passed a lady selling tea.

‘Why are you running

so fast?' said she.

‘Won't you stop and have some tea?'

‘No time for tea,' said Terry D.

‘We're being chased by an evil bee.

From that bee we must flee

or stung by the bee

we'll surely be.'

‘I see,' said the lady selling tea.

‘I see the bee.

I see that I must also flee.

Jump aboard my trolley with me.

It's a super-fast trolley

that is powered by tea.'

And so we fled.

We fled, all three.

As fast as we could—

pursued by that bee.

But just as we were almost free

the tea-trolley crashed

into a mighty tree.

‘Quick!' said Terry,

‘climb up the tree.

As fast as you can,

because here

comes the bee.'

Up we climbed.

One, two, three!

Terry D, the tea-lady and me.

We climbed and climbed

and climbed, we three.

We climbed right up

to the top

of that tree

until there was

nowhere left to flee.

I turned to face our enemy—

that evil, nasty, stinging bee—

and said to it most angrily,

‘Why do you seek

to sting us three?

Just buzz off and let us be.'

But the bee just buzzed

with evil glee

and made a bee-line

straight for me!