De Dans Van de Speculaas en Hoe Thee Rat Kerst Gewonnen or The Dance of the Sugar Cookies and How Tea Rat Stole Christmas

Please click on all images.

This is the tale of a humble little theatre tucked away in a corner of Nowhere, that glimmers with the magic of the Cirque de Noël . However, shimmering costumes and the twinkling hearts of dancers fair cannot outshine the enduring inner glow of true friendship for the grand finale.

Our story begins before the show


TEA RAT: Oh come now old thing and join us at the theatre tonight. We have quite the line-up and everyone is buzzing about it; won't you make an effort and come?

RATTUS: I'm in no mood for your buffoonery tonight! I am spending MY CHRISTMAS here by the fire, ALONE. Besides, I don't like the theatre.

TEA RAT: COME AGAIN? Theatre critic extraordinaire? The GRAND POOBAH of Vaudeville, Ombres Chinoises and the Big Top? Come son, and enjoy yourself, on me. Go get your shabby old coat and...

RATTUS: Oh leave me now! You are not going to steal my Christmas!

Meanwhile downtown...

THE ROYAL THEATRE OF NOWHERE PROUDLY PRESENTS TO YOU

DE DANS VAN DE SPECULAAS EN HOE THEE RAT KERST GEWONNEN

Do you have your ticket? CHECK!

Then please follow our Prima Ballerina and usherette, Miss Bebe from BEBE'S CORPS DE BALLET (and charm school)

this way please



DANKE. GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN and welcome to our CIRQUE DE NOËL



featuring a host of performers


from the GREAT CIRQUES DE PARIS

and

the illustrious HILLTOP!

Now, without further ado, we present to you

THE DIVINE MISS MOUSSIE


singing, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

accompanied by the smooth tones of none other than

TEA RAT



OH! Here it comes.... the high note that only THEY can hit together

"....may your days be merry and BRIIIIIIIIIGHT


and may all your Christmases be white."


Oh that was smashing! ENCORE! ENCORE!


And now, do we hear the shuffle of DUTCH SUGAR COOKIES, otherwise known as SPECULAAS gracing our stage?


Gracefully led by BEBE


followed in a neat little queue by Gretta the Great, Basile the Rat, Tea's cousin on his mother's side, twice removed and followed by MOZES who SUPPOSES HIS TOZES TO BE!


And tip-toeing in after Mozes we have.....er......ummmm.....

(meanwhile backstage)


TEA RAT: "What do you mean Racoon broke his leg? He was to do the final SPECULAAS SOLO after Mozes! Oh dear, this role requires GREAT SKILL and FIT OF LIMB! And I AM, of course, the only one who is able to stand in, BUT I'm preparing myself for THE GRAND FINALE to accompany RACOON'S ROUTINE!"

(back on stage)

AH! Here we are ladies and gentlemen! AND FOLLOWING Mozes we have....uh.....is it....is it RATTUS?



YES! RATTUS SCRIBUS HIMSELF, CIGAR AND ALL!



RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS! RAT-TUS!


And the crowd went wild folks...and as the BIG COOKIE OF THEM ALL, TEA RAT, IN HIS GRAND TEA CUP, DESCENDS FROM THE RAFTERS...

...the two old friends are on the stage for THE FIRST TIME EVER and blend ever so beautifully, like a fine cup of PG Tips and the perfect dunking cookie.

AND NOW, a few words from Miss Moussie:



My friends,

Dank U

Merci Beaucoup

Obrigada

Gracias

THANK YOU and a round of applause, PLEASE, to Miss Bebe, Nowhere's Sweetheart and her CORPS DE BALLET


and to our VERY SPECIAL and last-minute understudy, RATTUS SCRIBUS for executing the most difficult dance moves ever seen on stage OR screen!



MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all, a good night! Tea and Speculaas in the lobby for everyone!


That night after the show



TEA RAT: Rattus...

RATTUS: Yes?

TEA RAT: Thank you.

RATTUS: For what?

TEA RAT: You came. But not only did you come to see the show, you helped me, your old mate, your comrade, your friend. Did I steal YOUR Christmas old thing?

RATTUS: You GAVE me Christmas tonight old chum. What can I say but that I feel young again and I thank you for.....



TEA RAT: Oh Rattus!



RATTUS: CHEESE AND CRACKERS! Whatta ya doin'?

TEA RAT: You had your arms out, I thought you wanted a huggy...

RATTUS: Did you ever read that incorrectly! COMPORT YOURSELF OLD THING!

Friendship like a cup of tea

and sugar cookies crumb-e-ly

are sweet and sometimes hard to chew

but ever worthy, precious and few...



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

All corny text, poetry, poor photography and drawings by Anita Castles Crowns and Cottages ©

EXCEPT for the darling illustration of Bebe by Penny at Angelswings

and image of Miss Moussie and idea of Mozes the Bear by The Dutchess

Image of Gretta by the imagination of Jackie at Once Upon a Fairyland

Idea of Racoon by Patricia Cabrera at Woolytales

AND RATTUS SCRIBUS is the brain child of RUBEN RIVERA from

Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good

Please stop by his blog to read a REAL Christmas message!