It was a few days since Snuggles and Mr Chapman had gone to tea at the Bournes’ house. And Mark had called in to play with the kitten every afternoon when he got home from school.
Snuggles really enjoyed the lively games they played. Kind old Mr Chapman had the comfiest lap in the world, but he couldn’t run around the garden with Snuggles like Mark did.
“Hello, Mark,” Snuggles purred, as Mr Chapman opened the door. The kitten launched himself at Mark and pounced on the laces of his trainers. It was one of his favourite games.
“Hi, Mr Chapman,” Mark grinned. “Can I have my laces back, please, Snuggles? I need them to keep my trainers on!”
“Why?” Snuggles grabbed one of the laces in his teeth and shook it from side to side. “I don’t know why people wear such smelly shoes anyway!”
“Snuggles, behave yourself!” Mr Chapman laughed. “Come in, Mark.”
“Race you to the back door, Mark!” Snuggles miaowed happily. And he shot off down the hall, with Mark chasing after him.
When Mr Chapman had unlocked the back door, Snuggles and Mark ran out into the garden. Snuggles had almost forgotten that he’d ever been scared of going outside. Now he and Mark went out whenever the weather was fine.
It was a crisp, bright autumn day. Red and gold leaves were falling gently from the trees onto the lawn.
“Come on, Mark!” Snuggles mewed. “Let’s catch the leaves for a while!” He jumped up at a leaf as it floated down towards him and batted it with his paw.
“Well done, Snuggles!” Mark called. Then he looked around the garden. “I feel like climbing a tree,” he said.
Snuggles’s heart sank. “I’m too scared to climb trees,” he mewed quietly. “Only Super-Snuggles can do that.”
Mark pointed at the tallest tree in Mr Chapman’s garden. “Come on, Snuggles. Let’s climb that one!”
Snuggles looked nervously at the tree. It was so tall, it seemed to go on for ever. Even Super-Snuggles hadn’t climbed it yet. Snuggles was sure he’d never be able to climb the tree. Not even with Mark’s help.
“I’ll give you a hand, Snuggles.” Mark picked up the kitten and, standing on tiptoe, placed him on one of the lower branches. “Now just wait there while I climb up to you.”
“I’m not going anywhere!” Snuggles mewed in a scared voice. “Help!” The kitten was very frightened indeed. He felt as though he was going to fall off any minute. He didn’t like it at all.
“Mark, your mum’s here,” Mr Chapman called from the back door. Snuggles was very relieved.
“OK,” Mark called back. He lifted Snuggles off the branch. “The tree will have to wait until tomorrow,” he said. Then he gave the kitten a cuddle as he carried him back into the house.
Snuggles was still feeling a bit shaky, so he decided to go and have a nap. A Super-Snuggles adventure would make him feel better.
Mr Chapman was busy in the kitchen, so the kitten curled up on the rug in front of the fire. What would Super-Snuggles do today? he wondered. He’d have to wait and see . . .
Super-Snuggles the Wonder Cat sat on the front garden fence, watching all the dogs in the street walking up and down. They hardly made a sound.
“Hello, Super-Snuggles,” Barney woofed very softly, trotting up to him. “I’ve told all the other dogs not to bark loudly any more, because it annoys you.”
“Thanks, Barney,” Super-Snuggles miaowed.
The Alsatian wagged his tail happily.
Super-Snuggles sat and watched all the dogs woofing to each other really, really quietly. It was great fun!
Or was it?
“Just a minute,” Super-Snuggles mewed, feeling rather miserable. “Something’s not quite right here . . .”
Snuggles stirred in his sleep, beginning to wake up. What is the matter with Super-Snuggles? he thought drowsily. Why does he feel so fed up?
“Snuggles, wake up.” Mr Chapman came into the living room carrying a sandwich and a cup of tea. “Were you asleep again? I sometimes wonder what you dream about!”
“Oh, I always have great dreams, Mr Chapman,” Snuggles miaowed, yawning. “Being Super-Snuggles the Wonder Cat is the most fun ever!” But then he sat up and thought hard. His dream hadn’t felt quite so exciting today.
Snuggles felt a bit upset. He could hardly eat any of the tuna that Mr Chapman offered him.
What was the matter with him? He always loved being Super-Snuggles in his dreams. So why hadn’t he enjoyed this dream? What had changed?
The kitten decided to go back to sleep. Maybe he could find out.
Chapter Five
Super-Snuggles bounded over the fences into every garden in the street. At Number 21, Barney was waiting for him.
“Hello, Super-Snuggles,” Barney woofed quietly. “Welcome to my garden. I’ve got a big fish for you from my owner’s fridge.”
“Thanks.” Super-Snuggles ate the fish and then leaped over the fence into the next garden.
Mrs Foster’s Boxer, Jason, was sitting there with a whole roast chicken in front of him. “I hope you like it, Super-Snuggles,” he woofed politely.
“It will do,” Super-Snuggles miaowed. And he ate the whole lot. Then he jumped over two more fences into the garden of Number 27, where Mr Lane’s mongrel, Sally, had a pork chop waiting for him.
“You’re my hero, Super-Snuggles,” Sally woofed, wagging her tail at him.
“Hang on a minute.” Super-Snuggles sat down. “Something’s not right here,” he mewed miserably.
“Oh no! It’s happening again!” Snuggles miaowed as he woke up. It had been a great dream – all the scary dogs in the street giving Super-Snuggles his favourite food!
But Super-Snuggles just wasn’t enjoying himself any more. And Snuggles didn’t know why.
“Snuggles, what’s wrong?” Mr Chapman put down his newspaper and gently scratched the kitten’s head. “You don’t look very happy.”
“I’m not!” Snuggles mewed miserably. No matter what Super-Snuggles did, the dreams weren’t so exciting. They didn’t feel very real.
But Snuggles was determined not to give up. “Maybe I should sleep even more,” he mewed. “Then I might be able to get my lovely, exciting dreams back!”
Snuggles thought that this was a really good idea. So he curled up on Mr Chapman’s lap again.
“Oh, Snuggles, you’re not going to sleep again!” Mr Chapman exclaimed. “You’ve only just woken up!”
Just then the doorbell rang.
“Aren’t you coming to see who it is, Snuggles?” Mr Chapman asked. He lifted the kitten off his lap and slowly stood up. “It might be Mark.”
“I can’t,” Snuggles miaowed, keeping his eyes tightly shut. “I have to have a really good dream . . .”
“Hi, Mr Chapman.”
Snuggles recognised Mark’s voice. The kitten longed to rush into the hall and say hello. But he stayed where he was.
“Mum wants to know if you and Snuggles would like to come to lunch today,” Mark went on.
“We’d love to,” Mr Chapman agreed. “If I can wake Snuggles up, that is!”
“Oh, is he asleep again?” said Mark, coming into the living room.
Snuggles kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, even when Mark crouched down to stroke him.
“Don’t you want to play, Snuggles?” Mark sounded very disappointed.
Snuggles felt guilty about not getting up to play with his friend. But he didn’t move.
“Never mind, Mark,” said Mr Chapman. “You’ll be able to play with Snuggles when we come over for lunch.”
“OK,” said Mark. But he still sounded upset. “Mum says to come over at about one o’clock.” Then he went back next door.