Father Christmas and Me. Matt Haig

about like over-excited snakes.

      ‘Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.’

      It was useless. I couldn’t grab them. I saw Captain Soot clawing his way over Blitzen’s back, towards his neck.

      ‘No, Captain! No. This way. Come to me. Come on. Please, Captain. Please!’

      It was no good saying ‘please’ to a cat. It was no good saying anything to a cat, really. A cat is a cat. But what else could I do?

      It seemed that Blitzen was almost trying to gallop away from Captain Soot. Which was quite a difficult thing to do, as Captain Soot was attached to his back.

      I looked down at the ground. We were very high. Higher than the trees that we were flying over. And very far away from Elfhelm, now. In fact, it was nowhere to be seen. We were probably miles away.

      ‘Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.’

      ‘Blitzen!’ I shouted one last time at the crazed reindeer. ‘It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s . . .’

      I had an idea.

      It was a totally stupid idea, but it was the only one I had.

      I had to get control of Blitzen. And I couldn’t get control of him from the sleigh. That was absolutely impossible now that I didn’t have the reins.

      No. The only way I could get control of Blitzen, and the reins, and grab hold of Captain Soot, was to jump from the sleigh onto the reindeer’s back.