W. H. D. Rouse

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684 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Aug 2026 last heard 1 Aug

W. H. D. Rouse’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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Through the Looking Glass · Christmas Miscellany 2023 - Various · 1 Aug 2026 podcast

and a persian cat with her hair turned the wrong way mewed out her story of a christmas tree that she had attended and how there was a white mouse made of cream cheese for her creeping about beneath the branches then the monkeys chattered and the elephants trumpeted the horses neighed the hyenas laughed and each in his own way argued for a christmas tree and told what they would do to help to make it

the elephant would go into the forest and choose the tree and pull it up the buffaloes would drag it in the giraffe would fix the ornaments on the higher limbs because its neck was long the monkeys would scramble up where the giraffe could not reach the squirrels would run out on the slender twigs and help the monkeys the birds would fly about and get the golden threads and put them on the tree with their beaks

the fireflies would hide themselves among the branches and sparkle like diamonds and the glow-worms promised to help the fireflies by playing candles if some one would lift them up and put them on the branches the parrots and paroquets and other birds of gay plumage would give feathers to hang among the branches and the humming-birds promised to flutter in and out among the twigs and the sheep to give white wool to lie like snow among the boughs

then the parrots screeched and the peacocks screamed with delight and you and i never could have told whether anybody voted aye or nay but the lion knew and the owl for he was clerk and set it down in the minutes as the lion bade him that all the birds and beasts would do their part

so each planned what he could do even the little beetle who makes great balls of earth thought that if he could only once see one of those gay balls that grow on the children's christmas tree he might make some for the animals tree

different birds and beasts told of the oranges and apples and holly berries and who knows what they could get and hang upon the tree you see the animals came from many places and then too they could send the carrier pigeons to go and bring fruit and berries and who knows what besides from oh so far away because the carrier pigeons can fly through the air no one knows how fast or how far

well i cannot tell you everything that each one was going to do but if you will go and get your noah's ark and take the animals out one by one then you surely will think it out for yourself for you have all the animals there and so they arranged how they would ornament the tree and the next thing was to decide what presents should be hung on the tree or put beneath its boughs for each one must have his present

well after much discussion in roars and bellows crows and croaks and lows and screams and bleats and baws and grunts and all the other sounds of bird and beast language it was voted that each might choose the present he wished hung on the tree

the clerkly owl should call their names one by one and each might declare his choice so they began the parrots and the macaws thought that they would like oranges and bananas and such things which would look so pretty on the tree too

and so they were arranged for the robins and the cedar birds chose cherries the partridges partridge berries the squirrels red and gray and black nuts and apples and pears the monkeys said the popcorn strings would do for them and the cats and dogs remembering the christmas gifts which the pug dog and persian cat had told about asked for tiny mice made of cream cheese or chocolate

by and by it came the pig's turn to tell his choice grunt grunt said the pig i want a nice pail of swill hung on the very lowest bough of all

ugh said the black leopard so sleek and so clean pah said the gazelle with his dainty sense of smell nay said the horse so daintily groomed what roared the lion what's that you want a pail of swill grunted the pig each one has chosen what he wants and i have a right to choose what i want

but roared the lion each one has chosen something beautiful to make the tree a joy to all said the pig the parrots and the macaws are going to have oranges and bananas and the robins and the cedar birds red cherries the partridges their berries the squirrels nuts and apples and pears the dog and the cat their cream and chocolate mice they all have what they want to eat

said he i will have what i want to eat too and what i want is a pail of swill now you see it had been voted as i told you that each should choose what he wanted hung on the tree for him and so the lion could not help himself if the pig chose swill swill he must have and angrily he had to roar if the pig wants swill a pail of swill he must have hung on the lowest bough of the tree

then the wolf's wicked eyes gleamed for his turn was next and he said if the pig has swill because he wants swill to eat i must have what i want to eat and i want a tender lamb six months old and at that all the lambs and the sheep bleated and bawled ha barked the fox then i want a turkey and the turkeys gobbled in fear and i said the tiger want a yearling calf

and the cows and the calves lowed in horror and i said the owl the clerk i want a plump dove and i said the hawk we'll take a rabbit and i said the leopard want a deer or a gazelle

then all was fear and uproar the hares and the rabbits scuttled into the grass the gazelles and the deer bounded away the sheep and cattle crowded close together the small birds rose in the air in flocks and the christmas tree was like to have come to grief and ended not in christmas joy but in fear and hatred and terror

then a little timid lamb stepped out and bleated ah king lion it would be very sad if all the animals should lose their christmas tree for the very thought of that tree has brought us closer together and here we were wild and tame fierce and timid met together as friends and oh king lion rather than there should not be a tree they may take me and hang me on it

let them not take the turkeys and gazelles and the calves and the rabbits and all the rest that they have chosen let the tigers and leopards and wolves and foxes and eagles and hawks and owls and all their kind be content that their christmas present shall be a lamb and so we may come together again and have our happy christmas tree and each have what he wishes

but said the lion what will you have if you give yourself then you will have no christmas present

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