Subject: 31st Dec Prompt From Stutley Constable: A mistaken panda. (yes, really...)

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year...with particular thanks to Hades, for organising this, once more:-)

It's a Panda!

"Antelope?"

She smiled,

And gently shook her head.

"Getting closer."

Another graceful move,

Executed with the lightest tread.

~0~

Her husband gazed,

Entranced,

Completely under her spell.

Holmes declared loudly,

"I deduce, dear Mary,

That you are obviously

A Thomson's gazelle!"

~0~

She nodded,

And sat down, a little flushed,

And a little flustered

By the applause.

"Your turn now."

Holmes stood up,

Regarded his audience serenely

And bowed.

There followed a short pause.

~0~

Hopkins had started the game off

As a wily ferret;

Lestrade's Jungle Book inspired

Panther/Bagheera depiction

Had been quite the turn;

Rosie had proved to be

An excellent reindeer;

Watson's kangaroo representation

Had been surprisingly

Difficult to discern.

~0~

Arthur, as a juvenile hippopotamus,

Had been the most

Hilarious charade;

And Mrs Hudson's

Stunning impression

Of a highland cow,

Had made the, already fierce, competition

Extremely hard.

~0~

Holmes thought carefully,

Did his best to present

A fluffy exterior,

And rolled about

In an ursine fashion

On the floor.

He grabbed Watson's cane,

( Nearest approximation to a bamboo shoot)

Pretended to strip it of leaves.

But the audience requested more.

~0~

Thumb and index finger together,

Both hands,

He represented a dark patch

Surrounding each eye.

"An owl?"

"A bush baby?"

A negative response

To each enthusiastic reply.

~0~

Holmes then attempted

To exude an aura

Of oriental

Mystery...

And failed.

Amongst the New Year's Eve

Baker Street gathering,

An air of puzzlement

Prevailed.

~0~

Holmes tried again;

Filling his cheeks out,

Turning his angular visage

Into a bear faced triumph.

His finest acting skills displayed

"Puffer fish!"

Called out Wiggins,

Sitting happily

On the splendid sledge

His small and

Irregular friends had made.

~0~

Holmes frowned;

Surely his friends

Had seen

Pictures,

Furs

And models

Of this exotic creature?

He carried on, valiantly;

Straining every nerve

And muscle

To represent

In realistic detail

Every possible

Relevant

Feature.

~0~

Watson watched

Holmes' increasingly

Desperate antics,

And whispered

Quietly

In Mycroft's ear.

"When should we tell Holmes

That we all know

It's a panda...?

His acting skills

Make his choice

Of animal

Perfectly clear."

~0~

"Not yet, old chap.."

Mycroft broke off

To suggest,

"Raccoon?"

Before continuing...

"I would hate

To spoil Sherlock's fun.

As far as I am concerned

The evening's entertainment,

Provided by

My dear brother,

Has only just begun..."

~0~