Felix ran towards the machine, jumped on it and pawed at his reflection.
“Felix looks as if he’s driving it!” Jodie laughed.
Everyone smiled, watching Felix as he sat on the Wizard like a figurehead. His purring was almost as loud as the Wizard’s hum.
As Miss Spark steered the Wizard past Jodie, Felix looked up.“Hey, Jodie!” he miaowed. “This is fun!”
Mrs Taylor shook her head in awe, looking at the spotless sofa and carpet.“I’ve never seen the place looking so clean,” she said. “At least, not since Felix has been here.”
Jodie had to agree.
“And finally,” said Miss Spark as she switched the vacuum cleaner off, “the Wizard also sucks fluff and dust from the air – before it has a chance to settle.”
“That’s fantastic!” Jodie said.
As the machine stopped moving, Felix stepped off and sat next to his new friend, his head on one side.
Mr Pearce began clapping.“It looks as though Felix thinks he’s done the cleaning himself,” he said.
“He’s an absolute darling!” Miss Spark cried.
Felix was really enjoying himself. Everyone seemed to think he was great! And now that his silver friend had cleaned up all his fluff, perhaps Mrs Taylor would forget about banishing him to the garage.
But Jodie’s mum was looking worried again. “It’s a marvellous machine,” she said. “I’d love one – but I’m afraid we simply can’t afford a new vacuum cleaner. Especially such an expensive-looking one …”
“Oh, I don’t want you tobuy one!” Mr Tomkins said.
Chapter Six
“What?” Mrs Taylor said in surprise.
“Let me explain,” said Mr Tomkins. “We want Felix to star in our advertisements,” he said.
Jodie gasped.
“He’s a natural,” Mr Tomkins went on. “With Felix showing off the Wizard, we’ll sell thousands!”
“Oh, wow!” Jodie cried. She picked up Felix and hugged him. “You’re going to be famous!” she whispered.
Felix rubbed his head against Jodie’s neck. “Great!” he purred. “I’ve always wanted to be a superkitten.”
“I can see the posters now,” Mr Tomkins said, rubbing his hands together happily. “They’ll say:Buy a Wizard– the ultimate fluffbuster!”
“Or how about:So quiet it won’t even frighten a kitten!” Miss Spark added.
“Very good, Miss Spark!” Mr Tomkins boomed.
“And:So light even a kitten can push it!” Mr Pearce offered. “If you don’t mind me joining in,” he added, going a bit red.
“Thank you, Mr Pearce! Another excellent suggestion!” cried Mr Tomkins. Then he turned to Jodie’s mum. “We’ll pay a fee, of course. And the ‘Wizard Kitten’ must have a Wizard for his own home. We’ll leave this one for you, shall we?”
Jodie and her mum stood there, too astounded to speak. Felix gave a short miaow.“Say yes!” He wanted to be a superkitten. He wanted to be famous – and he wanted it now!
One evening, a few weeks later, Jodie and her mum and dad were all sitting in front of the television. Felix was sitting on Jodie’s lap. He was quite a bit bigger, but still very fluffy.
“Mr Tomkins said it would be on at five-thirty,” Jodie said. She looked at her watch. “It’s nearly that now.”
“I only make it twenty-five past,” Mr Taylor said.
Felix looked up at Jodie, his bright blue eyes puzzled. Why was everyone so excited? Even Jodie’s dad had come home from work early
“Have we got the video set?” Mrs Taylor asked.
Just then there was a noise outside in the hall and a cheerful woman put her head around the door. It was Mrs Bell.
Felix turned round and miaowed.“Hello, Mrs Bell.” He liked Mrs Bell. Ever since Mr Tomkins had paid a lot of money for Felix’s kitten modelling, Mrs Bell had been coming here to do all the cleaning.
“I’ve finished cleaning upstairs,” Mrs Bell said. “Do you want me to do in here now?”
“Oh, Mrs Bell,” said Jodie’s mum, smiling. “Come and watch the advertisement first! It should be on any min—”
She was interrupted by a scream from Jodie.“Here he is! Oh, look, Felix, there you are!”
Jodie held Felix up in front of the television and he saw himself sitting proudly on a Wizard as it was put through its paces.
“Solve even the fluffiest problem with the aid of your Wizard!” said a voice on the TV. “Cleans your home like magic!”
“Don’t you look gorgeous!” Jodie cried.
“Purreow!” said Felix. He jumped down and sat as close to the TV as he could, staring up at himself. “Yes, I do look pretty good …”
As the advertisement ended, everyone sighed with pride. Then Felix gave a tiny sneeze and shook himself, sending a shower of fluffy grey fur into the air.
Jodie laughed.“You can do that as much as you like, Felix,” she said. “Because now you’re getting paid for it!”
3. STAR THE SNOWY KITTEN
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.
“I thought you wanted a mountain bike!” Michael’s gran said. Michael opened his eyes. “I’msaving for a mountain bike,” he replied. “I’ve been saving for ages. But I’d like a kitten for my Christmas present.”
“You got a kitten last Christmas,” his mum reminded him.
“But that wasn’t a real one,” Michael argued.
Because he’d kept on about kittens so much, one of Michael’s presents last year had been a toy kitten, with fluffy ginger fur and curly whiskers. He now sat on the shelf above Michael’s bed. Sometimes, when no one was looking, Michael gave him a cuddle.
“You’re too young to look after a real kitten yourself,” Mrs Tappin said.
“I still want one,” said Michael. “I’llalways want one.”
“They cost a lot of money, kittens do,” said his gran. “There’s food and vet’s bills.”
“And cat baskets and flea collars!” Mrs Tappin put in.
“But Archie doesn’t cost you much, does he, Gran?” Michael asked. He stroked the pale fur on Archie’s tummy, which was soft as feathers.
“Not now,” his gran replied. “He doesn’t need a lot of fuss and expense. All he needs now is a laze in front of the fire and a snooze.” She smiled. “Like me!”
Michael put his face close to Archie’s and touched the tip of the cat’s damp, pink nose with his own. Archie’s whiskers quivered and one ear twitched slightly. “Did he play a lot when he was younger? Did he do naughty things?” he asked.
“Oh, my goodness, yes,” said his gran. “He used to run up these curtains quicker than a rat up a drainpipe!”
“One Christmas he climbed the tree!” Michael’s mum put in. She nodded towards the funny old plastic Christmas tree that his gran put up every Christmas. It was a bit bent and a bit bare. But she said she liked it like that.
“That’s how it got bent,” said his gran.
Michael looked at Archie’s crumpled, sleeping face. “Oh,please let me have a kitten!”
Michael’s mum and gran looked at each other again.
“You’ll have enough money for your bike soon,” Mrs Tappin said. “Then you won’t want to stay in with a kitten.”