No Huntsman will be there!

 

 

 

Oxenford     the name of a small town on the Gold Coast

Pomona        the name of a small town on the Sunshine Coast

Huntsman    a large spider often found in our homes

secluded      hidden away, behind trees

massive        very big

web                the fine areas spiders make to live in

sprayed        used fly spray – lots of it to kill any spiders in the cupboard

filaments     very fine strands of spiders web

ponged         slang for smelled very strongly

loo                  slang for toilet

infiltrate      slowly come into the house

knots             marks in the wood

snigger          to laugh at – to make fun of someone

Persil             a brand of washing powder like Omo

caff                 Café, a place to have coffee and cake

 

 

Oxenford was our last house

Main Street, number thirty

Secluded, wooded, treed and bushed

The house was clean not dirty

The only problem Chrissy had

Was spotted panels wooden

The knots resembled Huntsmen sly

Prepared to jump out sudden.

But,    The next house is Pomona fair

There’ll be no Huntsmen there.

 

Inside a hallway cupboard door

We found a massive web

Fine silken grey long filaments

Ten thousand Huntsmens’ beds?

So hero Peter sprayed it long

And vacuumed it away

He fumed the cupboard top to toe

Oh boy it ponged all day.

But,    The next house is Pomona fair

There’ll be no Huntsmen there.

 

From time to time they sidled in

As quiet as a mouse

The little rounds with many legs

Would infiltrate the house

I’d see this silent rolling ring

And call my hero strong

He’d flit them all and shove them down

The loo where they belonged.

OH!    Soon will come Pomona fair

There’ll be no Huntsmen there!

 

As summer’s heat rolled all around

The Huntsmen just got bigger

One by the loo, one in the shower

They’d sit and stare and snigger

Those dratted knots – I swear they moved

That panelling’s alive-o

It’s mostly my imagine,

Bit ragged on the nerves tho.

But!    Soon it’s to Pomona fair

There’ll be no Huntsmen there.

 

 

We had three days a camping

In Coolum by the sea

We set up tent and beds and stuff

It took much sweat – hours three

I wasn’t feeling very good

So tired! It’s such a pain

I paddled once – the crashing waves

Help soothe away the strain.

Friday!           We see Pomona fair

There’ll be no Huntsmen there.

 

‘Now why’s Pomona fair?’ you ask

What makes this place to special?

‘Ah!,’ I say, ’The whole things white

As clean and pure as Persil,

The tiles are white, the walls are white

The ceilings white as snow

The bench is white, the cupboards white

No Huntsman dares to go!’

Yes!    Here in Pomona fair

No Huntsman dares to go.

 

 

 

All packed up we motor on

Have hot pies at a caff,

Twelve thirty finds us greeting Fred

Inside, a-working’s Cath,

She shows me which room we will share

I test the bed for soft

My eyes with horror spy up there

A great big horrible black fast moving ugly nasty Huntsman – up aloft.

Alas!   I’ve reached Pomona fair

But the Huntsman beat me there!

 

 

Questions for review.

 

1. Describe the spider in the picture.
2. Why was Chrissy so scared?
3. What did the knots in the wood look like?
4. Why would the house in Pomona be better?
5. Have you seen a spider this big?
6. How would you feel if you had these in your house?
7. Describe the house in Pomona
8. Describe a spiders web and how they are used by spiders.

 

©Lana Kerr                                                 http:// www.englishstoriesforfun.com