Poem: Dad and the cat and the tree
Stanza 1
“This morning a cat got stuck in our tree… Leave it to me.”
Explanation:
The poem begins with a cat that has climbed a tree and cannot come down. Dad confidently says that he will handle the problem. His words show self-confidence and pride, as he believes rescuing the cat is very easy.
Stanza 2
“The tree was wobbly… Mum said, ‘For goodness’ sake don’t fall!’
Explanation:
This stanza tells us that the tree is tall and shaky. Mum is worried and warns Dad not to fall. This shows that the situation is dangerous, unlike what Dad thinks.
Stanza 3
“‘Fall?’ scoffed Dad… ‘Child’s play, this is!’
Explanation:
Dad laughs at Mum’s warning and boasts about his climbing skills. He says the task is very easy for him. This stanza highlights Dad’s overconfidence, which creates humour.
Stanza 4
“He got out the ladder… He landed in the flower bed.”
Explanation:
Dad brings a ladder from the garden shed to climb the tree. However, the ladder slips and Dad falls into the flower bed. This proves that Dad’s confidence was misplaced, and the rescue attempt fails.
Stanza 5 :
“Never mind,” said Dad,
Brushing the dirt
Off his hair and his face
And his trousers and his shirt,
Explanation:
Dad pretends that nothing serious has happened after falling into the flower bed. He dusts off the dirt from his clothes and body. This shows his pride—he does not want to admit failure or accept that he was careless.
Stanza 6
“We’ll try Plan B. Stand
Out of the way!”
Mum said, “Don’t fall
Again, O.K.?”
Explanation:
Dad decides to try another method (Plan B) and asks everyone to move aside. Mum is worried and warns him not to fall again. This shows Mum’s concern and sensible nature, in contrast to Dad’s confidence.
Stanza 7
“Fall again?” said Dad.
“Funny joke!”
Then he swung himself up
On a branch. It broke.
Explanation:
Dad laughs at Mum’s warning and makes fun of it. He climbs onto a tree branch confidently, but the branch breaks. This stanza clearly shows Dad’s overconfidence and foolishness, creating humour.
Stanza 8
Dad landed wallop
Back on the deck.
Mum said, “Stop it,
You’ll break your neck!”
Explanation:
Dad falls heavily onto the wooden deck. Mum scolds him and warns that he may seriously injure himself. This stanza highlights the danger of Dad’s actions and Mum’s fear for his safety.
Stanza 9
“Rubbish!” said Dad.
“Now we’ll try Plan C.
Easy as winking
To a climber like me!”
Explanation:
Dad angrily dismisses Mum’s warning and announces yet another plan (Plan C). He again boasts about his climbing ability. This reinforces the poem’s main idea—excessive confidence leads to repeated failure.
Stanza 10
“Then he climbed up high
On the garden wall.
Guess what?
He didn’t fall!”
Explanation:
The father climbs up the garden wall. Everyone expects him to fall, but surprisingly, he does not fall. This creates suspense and adds humour to the poem.
Stanza 11
“He gave a great leap
And he landed flat
In the crook of the tree-trunk —
Right on the cat!”
Explanation:
The father jumps from the wall and lands in the fork (crook) of a tree. Unfortunately, he lands directly on the cat that was sitting there. This is a funny and unexpected situation.
Stanza 12
“The cat gave a yell
And sprang to the ground,
Pleased as Punch to be
Safe and sound.”
Explanation:
The cat cries out loudly because of the sudden landing. It quickly jumps down to the ground. The cat feels very happy and relieved to escape without getting hurt.
Stanza 13
“So it’s smiling and smirking,
Smug as can be,
But poor old Dad’s
Still
Stuck
Up
The
Tree!”
Explanation:
The cat is now smiling proudly and looks very pleased with itself. However, the father is not so lucky. He is still stuck up in the tree and cannot come down. The po
em ends humorously, showing the contrast between the cat’s clever escape and the father’s awkward situation.
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