Snuggles felt very mean. He didn’t want to make Mark unhappy. He loved Mark nearly as much as he loved Mr Chapman, now.
The kitten decided that he would play with Mark all afternoon to make it up to him. “But now I must get to sleep,” he sighed.
Super-Snuggles stood looking up at the huge tree. Its branches stretched right up into the sky. It was a long way to the top, but Super-Snuggles knew he could do it.
He began to climb. He leaped lightly from branch to branch, getting higher with every jump. The tree swayed gently in the breeze, but that didn’t worry Super-Snuggles the Wonder Cat. He just kept right on going.
“I did it!” Super-Snuggles miaowed, as he jumped up onto the highest branch. “I climbed the tallest tree!”
It should have been one of the best dreams ever.
“But it isn’t,” Super-Snuggles miaowed sadly. He looked down into next door’s garden. Mark was out there, playing with his little sister. He was chasing her round the garden, and they were laughing happily.
“You know what?” Super-Snuggles the Wonder Cat miaowed. “I wish I could play with Mark!”
Chapter Six
“OH!” Snuggles woke up with a jolt.
“Snuggles!” Mr Chapman was staring at his kitten, looking puzzled. “You made me jump! What’s the matter?”
“It’s OK, Mr Chapman,” Snuggles mewed. “Now I know why my Super-Snuggles adventures aren’t such fun any more.”
Mr Chapman stared down at his excited little kitten. “What on earth is the matter with you, Snuggles?”
“My real world is more exciting than my dream world, now that I’ve got Mark to play with!” Snuggles explained happily.
He jumped off Mr Chapman’s lap, and charged to the front door, tail waving madly. “I’m tired of dreaming. Can we go and see Mark now?”
“Snuggles, what’s the matter?” Mr Chapman came out into the hall. “Don’t scratch the door!”
“Please, Mr Chapman,” Snuggles mewed.
Mr Chapman picked up his kitten, then looked at his watch. “Let’s go next door,” he said. “It’s nearly time for lunch. And at least that will stop you scratching my front door to pieces!”
As Mr Chapman carried Snuggles outside, the kitten’s heart thumped with excitement. How could he have thought that silly old dreams could be better than having real adventures, playing with Mark?
Mark was looking out for them. His face lit up and he dashed outside to open the front gate.
Mr Chapman handed Snuggles to him.
The kitten rubbed his furry cheek against Mark’s. “Sorry, Mark,” he purred. “Playing with you is the best fun ever!”
“Woof! Woof!”
Snuggles turned round and saw Barney the Alsatian walking down the street with his owner.
“Grr!” Barney had spotted Snuggles, and was trying to pull his owner towards him. “I don’t like cats!” he growled fiercely.
Snuggles’s fur bristled in fear. But he couldn’t let smelly old Barney spoil his fun with Mark. He knew he had to be brave. What would Super-Snuggles do?
The kitten arched his back and lowered his ears, hoping it made him look fierce. “You’d better not talk to me like that, Barney,” he hissed. “Or I’ll chase you right up the street!”
Barney was so surprised that he stopped barking at once.
“You showed him, Snuggles!” Mark laughed, as he carried the kitten inside.
“Yes, I did, didn’t I?” Snuggles purred, rather surprised himself.
There were delicious smells coming from the kitchen which made Snuggles’s whiskers twitch.
“Let’s go into the garden, Snuggles.” Mark put the kitten down, and went to open the back door. “I’ll show you my new tree house.”
“Great!” Snuggles purred happily.
Mark’s tree house was perched in the branches of the tallest tree in the Bournes’ garden. Snuggles could see that the tree was even taller than the one Super-Snuggles had climbed in Mr Chapman’s garden. There was a long ladder leading up to the tree house.
“Shall I carry you up there, Snuggles?” Mark asked, bending to pick the kitten up.
“No,” Snuggles miaowed bravely. He shrugged away Mark’s hand. “I’m going to climb up the tree – just like Super-Snuggles would!”
“You’ll never get up there!” someone miaowed rudely.
Snuggles turned round and saw Timmy the tomcat perched on the fence, his tail swinging.
“Oh yes, I will!” Snuggles mewed back. It was funny – he didn’t feel scared of Timmy at all now!
Mark began to climb up the ladder and Snuggles scrambled up the tree trunk behind him. It wasn’t easy and his legs were tired out before he was halfway there. But he kept going.
The sun was warm on the kitten’s back. A gentle breeze ruffled his fur. “I did it!” Snuggles miaowed, as he finally reached the tree house.
He could see all the streets and gardens for miles around. He was so close to the blue sky that he felt as if he could reach out with his paw and touch it.
Snuggles thought that this was better than any of his Super-Snuggles dreams. He wasn’t scared at all, now that he’d got used to the swaying movements of the tree. But best of all, Mark was there too.
Snuggles and Mark played in the tree house until lunch was ready.
Then Mrs Bourne called them in, and everyone sat down to a huge roast chicken, with lots of potatoes, vegetables and gravy.
Snuggles had his own special bowl under the table, which was full of small pieces of meat. And Mark kept slipping him more bits too! Snuggles had never been so full in his life.
After lunch, Snuggles curled up on Mr Chapman’s lap and yawned. He was tired out from all their energetic games and from eating so much food.
“Look, Snuggles is going to sleep again,” laughed Mrs Bourne.
“Well, I think he deserves a nap this time,” Mr Chapman smiled.
“Yes, he’s been awake for ages,” agreed Mark.
“Don’t worry, Mr Chapman,” Snuggles mewed. “I’m not going to sleep for long. As soon as my tummy’s not so full, I’m going out with Mark to climb another tree!”
Star
the Snowy Kitten
Special thanks to Mary Hooper
To Maisie – a star in her own right
Chapter One
Michael knelt down beside the fire in his gran’s flat and ruffled Archie’s fur. The big tabby cat began to purr.
“I wish Archie could come and live with us,” Michael said.
“Don’t be silly,” Mrs Tappin, his mum, replied. “What would Gran do without him?”
Michael put his head down onto Archie’s tummy. “I’d love a kitten of my own even more.”
His mum and gran looked at each other and raised their eyebrows.
Michael closed his eyes and wished. I really hope I get a kitten for Christmas.
It was Christmas Eve and Michael and his mum had just popped in to see his gran. Archie, her cat, was dozing in front of the electric fire.
Archie was old now, with raggedy fur. Once he’d been lean and active, but now he was large and soft, his body sprawled out like a bag of knitting.