Some Aussie Chrissie Books Trivia Quiz

Answer: possum

While Australia does have mice, the creatures that were not stirring in the original poem, a possum is more commonly found sharing a suburban residence. The visions of sugarplums have been replaced by dreams of pavlovas, and Santa arrives in "a rusty old Ute pulled by eight mighty 'roos" named Kylie, Kirsty, Shazza, Shane, Kipper, Skipper, Bazza and Wayne.

After delivering a number of prezzies suited to summer activities, Santa departed, shouting "'MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and goodonya, MATES!'"

Answer: Repair a fence

The poem evokes the heat of an Australian summer, and a number of observations are made about the unsuitable nature of the midday meal - but they devour it anyway. After lunch, while consuming some cold beers, Mr Rogan, the neighbour, reminisces about English Christmases from his youth, and the children are amazed to hear what it was like.

"His old eyes glisten as he sees
Half glimpses of old memories,
Of whitened fields and winter snows,
And yuletide logs and mistletoes,
And all that half-forgotten, hallowed joy.

The children listen, mouths agape,
And see a land with no escape
For biting cold and snow and frost --
A land to all earth's brightness lost,
A strange and freakish Christmas land to them."

When the party breaks up, Dad remarks that he really ought to go wire the top fence, and Mum resignedly heads off to do the dishes.

Answer: Jingle Bells

Compare this to the original:
"Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way,"

Very few places in Australia see snow in the dead of winter, let alone at Christmas; there is, however, plenty of open countryside, or bush. No snow means no sleigh, but the traditional farm vehicle can be adapted. Holden is an Australian brand of car, and that company was responsible for developing a utility vehicle, or ute, a design they later shared with American carmakers. It has a closed cabin and an open back, designed to meet a farmer's request for a vehicle that could carry pigs to market on a weekday, and take the family to church on Sunday. An Esky is a brand name for a container to hold ice and drinks, traditionally beer, so they stay cold as they are carried along.

Answer: Mrs Snake

Although May Gibbs died in 1969, her estate has authorised May Gibbs Gumnut Babies to produce new stories in the style of the originals, and this one was published in 2013. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are both boys, designed to resemble gumnuts (but with unbearably cute eyelashes, and wearing a strategically-placed gum leaf); the girls in the books resemble the flowers.

In this story, the boys are getting themselves organised - cleaning the house, decorating a tree in the yard, and pondering the presents they expect to receive), but Mrs Snake, a regular antagonist, makes it difficult. Don't worry, they get it sorted!

Answer: Emu

The others all appeared later in the song, which is obviously an adaptation of the traditional 'Twelve Days of Christmas', with Australian animals replacing the original gifts. If the true love sends everything listed each day, and not just that day's new addition, the recipient eventually ends up with 364 animals, including 42 dingoes! Here is the entire list, from the twelfth day:

"Twelve parrots prattling,
Eleven numbats nagging,
Ten lizards leaping,
Nine wombats working,
Eight dingoes digging,
Seven possums playing,
Six brolgas dancing,
Five kangaroos,
Four koalas cuddling,
Three kookaburras laughing,
Two pink galahs,
And an emu up a gum tree."

Answer: Carrots

Wombat's day starts off with a familiar routine of sleeping, eating, sleeping, gentle activity, sleeping - you get the picture. But it's Christmas, and the day gets unusual, starting with a Christmas tree ornament that falls onto his nose! Wombat shows the ornaments who is boss, but when he has a disagreement with Santa's reindeer over the carrots that had been placed out, it's a tougher battle. Wombat is victorious, and curls up in Santa's sleigh to keep munching (and sleeping).

Answer: Kangaroo and Emu

If I told you that the words of the story can be sung to the tune of the Australian national anthem, 'Advance Australia Fair', then the choice of the two animals used on the Australian coat of arms would be rather obvious. Unfortunately for Santa, they have a lot more enthusiasm than skill in the present-delivering department, and gifts are misdelivered all over the place, before finally getting sorted. Simon Swingler's illustrations add to the fun.

Answer: Nativity play

Young Wombat is finally old enough to be part of the annual event, so he excitedly attends the auditions. When he is rejected for every part as being unsuited (too short, too stout, too clumsy, etc.), he gets discouraged. Then Emu suggests that a sleepy wombat would make the perfect Christ child, and he was right! Most of the characters in the story are familiar to Australian children - including kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, numbats and bilbies. 'Wombat Divine' was used as the theme for the 2009 Christmas window display in Myers, a large Melbourne department store.

Answer: Rain

As a lengthy drought threatens to make it impossible for her family to keep living on their property, and it looks like a grim Christmas ahead, Jane hopes for rain to ease the strain on the entire community. This story was written to make children aware of the extent of drought-affected areas in Australia at the time of writing, and to encourage them to appreciate the need for water conservation. 'All I Want for Christmas is Rain' was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Early Childhood Book of the Year in 2017.

By the way, she gets her wish!

Answer: Wombat

Santa Wombat is on his way to deliver the prezzies to the bush families on his list, when the list is blown away. Disaster! He searches everywhere, and we see a number of Australian animals engaged in typical summer activities - emus playing cricket against kangaroos, koalas hanging Christmas decorations, and more. The book is accompanied by a CD of the song to add to the fun.

"We wish you a ripper Christmas
A full-bore ripper Christmas
A deadset ripper Christmas
And a snappy New Year."