On Christmas Day in the Morning Quiz

Answer: Pearl S Buck

'Christmas Day in the Morning' describes a hard-working farm family, whose father has to call his oldest son several times most mornings in order to prise him out of bed to assist with the milking (a situation which will resonate with most parents of teenagers). One night Rob hears his parents discussing how distressing it is to have to hassle him, and he starts making an effort to get up when first called - this was the first time he had really appreciated that they loved him, and were pained by his actions. On Christmas Eve, with no gift (other than a tie from the ten-cent store) to show he reciprocated the love his father had expressed, he had the idea to get up extra early and do all the milking as a surprise gift for his father.

The story records their mutual pleasure from this generous act, and how it was carried with them both for the rest of their lives.

Answer: Bush

'A Bush Christmas', like much of Dennis's work, has humorous moments, but it is generally evocative of the hard work and camaraderie of life in the Australian bush - a term referring to country areas. A neighbour visits, the two men do a bit of work, but allow themselves not to work too hard (since it's only one day in the year) before settling down with a nice cold beer.

The mother cooks roast turkey and plum pudding, despite complaining about the heat. After dinner, the neighbour regales the children with memories of a cold winter Christmas back in England.

As he eventually rides home into the sunset, the father suggests he had better go get some fences mended, while the mother contemplates all the dirty dishes.

Answer: Hercule Poirot

'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' was published under that title in the UK in December of 1938. The American release a few months later was retitled 'Murder for Christmas', and a 1947 US paperback edition was again retitled to 'A Holiday for Murder'.

Simeon Lee had gathered his children (legitimate and illegitimate) and a granddaughter to unite for Christmas, despite the fact that most of them seemed to dislike not only each other, but also Simeon. Apparently, he was planning to enjoy himself watching their discomfort, but was deprived of the chance when he was murdered on Christmas Eve. The son of a former business partner also arrives to provide a nice range of people with motives to have killed him. Someone did it.

Answer: A Child's Christmas in Wales

'A Child's Christmas in Wales' evolved from a series of radio broadcasts, and was first recorded in 1945. It was not published in print form until 1954 (as part of 'Quite Early One Morning' in the US), and not until 1955 did it appear as an illustrated book in its own right.

It is a reminiscence in the form of a series of incidents and anecdotes - a Christmas Eve dining room fire, making snowmen, useful and useless presents, visiting uncles, and always music. There is no plot as such, but a wonderful evocation of childhood, and how we recall those moments that give us pleasure.

Answer: Baby Jesus

As Jesus, Wombat just had to curl up and sleep, something at which he naturally excelled. He had previously been found to be too heavy to fly in the harness used for Gabriel, and the part went to Bilby (an Australian marsupial with rabbit-like ears). When he tried out for the part of Mary, his weight caused the koalas in the donkey suit to collapse, and the part went to Numbat (a striped marsupial anteater). He was too short to be one of the Three Kings, who were portrayed by kangaroos, and too sleepy to be Joseph. But he was just right for Baby Jesus!

Mem Fox (who shortened her name from Merrion at the age of 13, although she never officially changed it) first came to fame in Australia in 1983, with the publication of 'Possum Magic'. She has since written dozens of children's books.

Answer: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Marie and her siblings get a wonderful clockwork castle for Christmas, but Marie ends up being more interested in a humanoid nutcracker (which operated by apparently biting on the nut placed in its mouth) that gets broken when her brother tries to crack a nut which is too large. During the night, mice (led by the seven-headed Mouse King) invade the room, and the dolls (led by the nutcracker) come to life to do battle, but are defeated.

This is just the start of a series of incidents culminating in the nutcracker truly coming to life because she has broken the curse that had been placed on him.

They live happily ever after as king and queen in the land of the dolls. The original story is much longer than the adaptation used for the ballet, including a detailed description of the history of the nutcracker's enchantment.

Answer: She sells her hair

Jim's watch, a family heirloom, was the only material asset of any real value that the struggling young couple possessed. Della's glorious hair was her most treasured asset, but when she realised it could get her some much needed money, she sold it. The irony of this loving sacrifice is found out when Jim arrives home with a set of hair combs she had been admiring for a long time. He had sold his watch to get the money for his gift.

The story ends, "And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi."

Answer: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

The male gumnut babies (as drawn by Gibbs to illustrate her stories) have features and clothing evocative of nuts, while the females resemble flowers. The first book featuring Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (both male, despite the cutesy names) was published in 1918, and many more followed. Mark McLeod used some of the original illustrations and fashioned a suitable story to accompany them. Cuddlepie is busy getting the house ready for Christmas, while Snugglepot hangs around being bored. When Cuddlepie goes out, Snugglepot searches the house to find his present, but fails to find it; meanwhile, Mrs Snake topples the Christmas tree trying to reach the shortbread star at its top, and makes a mess that Snugglepot has to clean up so he doesn't get the blame. He's not in a very good mood, but then Cuddlepie arrives home with all their friends for a party - his present to Snugglepot.

The incorrect options are all other characters created by May Gibbs.

Answer: It does not contain a number

The first novel in the series, 'One for the Money', was published in 1994, and introduced readers to Stephanie Plum, a lingerie salesperson who decided to strike out on her own as a bounty hunter. Subsequent books all had a number in the title, until 'Visions of Sugarplums' was published in 2003, between 'Hard Eight' and 'To the Nines'.

It introduced the character of Diesel, who also appears in later 'between the numbers' stories.

Answer: JRR Tolkien

Tolkien wrote a letter each Christmas for over twenty years, starting when his oldest child was three, and ending when the youngest was thirteen. The letters purported to describe what Father Christmas had been doing during the year, and contain fantasy elements which critics have seen as precursors to some of his more famous later work - it has been suggested, for example, that Gandalf was produced as an extension of the character being developed for Father Christmas. Some of the letters were 'written' by Father Christmas, some by his assistant; all contain wonderful accounts of the events of the year. The letters were edited and published three years after Tolkien's death by the wife of his youngest son.

All four of the options were members of The Inklings, a literary group who gathered in the 1930s and 1940s to criticise and support each other's work.