A holiday tail. . .

T'was days before Christmas and Mark was making his rounds;

Checking the tree houses and the surrounding grounds.

He walked up to one, to see if all was cool;

Alas, it was not and he babbled like a fool;

For it was a snake, a serpent curled up nice and tight;

If possible, it made Mark even more pasty white.

Not all was lost, as Mark found a stick;

And dispatched of the critter with nary a flick.

As it slithered off into the jungle with its fangs hanging out;

Mark was heard to say he has confined himself to bed for the next year with gout.

Was the serpent bad, was it good or was Mark taking his chances?

No one knows, but Mark and his pants-es