“But what about the Prickletree?” Oliver asked.
“We can decorate it when we get back,” Mrs Moon told him.
“That won’t be the same,” Oliver said. He stared out of the window, feeling as if he’d been robbed of his Christmas before it had even begun. “And what about sledging with Jake?”
“When we get back,” his mum repeated. “We’ll have a cracking Christmas holiday, Oliver. You’ll see.”
Oliver pushed his frogspawn porridge away, not feeling hungry any more. Whatever his mum said, he knew already that Christmas at Aunt Wart’s house wasn’t going to be any fun at all!