Read Online The Frightened Kitten by Holly Webb - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Holly Webb
Ads: Link
parcel tape, and wrapped another photo frame. “Where did Ben go?” she asked, a few minutes later.
“He’s under the bed, isn’t he?” Kate said, peering down.
But he wasn’t. There was a sudden thumping and then a muffled yowl. “He’s in the box!” Maddy giggled.
Kate stared at the big cardboard box she’d just taped up. “He can’t be…” she murmured, but she didn’t sound very sure. She ripped off the tape, and the flaps came up, followed by a large black head, with cross, glowing green eyes. Ben scrambled out, hissing grumpily.
“Well, you shouldn’t have been in there!” Kate laughed. “Nosy boy!”
Maddy was laughing too. But even as she laughed, she was thinking, I’m going to miss them so much…
Kate and her mum walked Maddy home – it was only five minutes away, and it was warm and sunny. Perfect Easter holiday weather. If Kate hadn’t been leaving tomorrow, they’d have spent loads of time in the park, or maybe gone out somewhere for the day.
“Those cats that live next door to you are nearly as big as Ben,” Kate’s mum commented, as they came up to Maddy’s garden.
“They’re sitting on Mum’s daffodils again,” Maddy sighed, as she hurried into the front garden and tried to shoo the two big ginger cats off the stone pot that her mum had planted full of bulbs. For some reason Tiger and Tomhad decided it was a really good place to sit, and the daffodils were looking a bit squashed now.
Maddy’s mum opened the front door. “I heard you coming, girls. Oh, no, not those horrible cats again!”
Tiger spat crossly at Maddy as she tried to get him off the daffodils, and yowled. He was so different to lovely, sweet-natured Ben. At last, he jumped down, and the pair of them stalked away, glaring back at Maddy.
As the mums chatted, Kate flung her arms round Maddy. “Promise you’ll call me every day! Tell me everything that’s happening at school, OK?”
Maddy nodded. “And anyway, you’re coming back to visit at half-term.”
“We’d better go,” Kate’s mum said. “It’ll be a long day tomorrow, and there’s still some packing to do.”
And that was it. Kate and her mum went back down the path, waving, and Maddy was left on her own.
“I’ve finished,” said Maddy, pushing away her half-eaten dinner. Mum had made her favourite pasta, but she just wasn’t hungry.
Her dad leaned over and put an arm round her shoulders. “Do you think we could tell her the news? To cheer her up?” he suggested to Maddy’s mum, and she nodded.
“What news?” Maddy sniffed sadly.
“Do you remember me telling you that my friend Donna’s cat had kittens a couple of months ago?” Mum asked.
“Oh, yes. You showed me a photo on your phone. They’re gorgeous. There were some tortoiseshell ones – my favourite kind!”
“Good. Because one of them is going to be yours!”
Maddy blinked. “I’m getting a kitten?”
“You can choose which of the litter you’d like. Donna needs to find homesfor them all, and we thought it would be nice for you to have a cat, as you’ve wanted one for so long. Especially as you’re bound to miss Kate – getting to know a kitten might make the Easter holidays a bit less sad.” Her mum looked at her anxiously. “We’re not trying to take your mind off missing her, Maddy. It’s a really sad thing for a friend to move away.”
“It just seemed like a good time,” her dad added.
Maddy nodded. “It is a good time,” she whispered. She couldn’t help still feeling sad about Kate, of course, but at the same time, inside she was jumping about and squeaking. A kitten! A kitten! I’m getting a kitten!
Chapter Two
Maddy’s mum showed her some more photos of the kittens, but it was hard to see them in the pictures on her phone. Three of them were ginger and the other two were tortoiseshells, beautiful black, white and orange cats. They were all coiled and snuggled around each other and their mother, who was black like Ben.
“He’s under the bed, isn’t he?” Kate said, peering down.
But he wasn’t. There was a sudden thumping and then a muffled yowl. “He’s in the box!” Maddy giggled.
Kate stared at the big cardboard box she’d just taped up. “He can’t be…” she murmured, but she didn’t sound very sure. She ripped off the tape, and the flaps came up, followed by a large black head, with cross, glowing green eyes. Ben scrambled out, hissing grumpily.
“Well, you shouldn’t have been in there!” Kate laughed. “Nosy boy!”
Maddy was laughing too. But even as she laughed, she was thinking, I’m going to miss them so much…
Kate and her mum walked Maddy home – it was only five minutes away, and it was warm and sunny. Perfect Easter holiday weather. If Kate hadn’t been leaving tomorrow, they’d have spent loads of time in the park, or maybe gone out somewhere for the day.
“Those cats that live next door to you are nearly as big as Ben,” Kate’s mum commented, as they came up to Maddy’s garden.
“They’re sitting on Mum’s daffodils again,” Maddy sighed, as she hurried into the front garden and tried to shoo the two big ginger cats off the stone pot that her mum had planted full of bulbs. For some reason Tiger and Tomhad decided it was a really good place to sit, and the daffodils were looking a bit squashed now.
Maddy’s mum opened the front door. “I heard you coming, girls. Oh, no, not those horrible cats again!”
Tiger spat crossly at Maddy as she tried to get him off the daffodils, and yowled. He was so different to lovely, sweet-natured Ben. At last, he jumped down, and the pair of them stalked away, glaring back at Maddy.
As the mums chatted, Kate flung her arms round Maddy. “Promise you’ll call me every day! Tell me everything that’s happening at school, OK?”
Maddy nodded. “And anyway, you’re coming back to visit at half-term.”
“We’d better go,” Kate’s mum said. “It’ll be a long day tomorrow, and there’s still some packing to do.”
And that was it. Kate and her mum went back down the path, waving, and Maddy was left on her own.
“I’ve finished,” said Maddy, pushing away her half-eaten dinner. Mum had made her favourite pasta, but she just wasn’t hungry.
Her dad leaned over and put an arm round her shoulders. “Do you think we could tell her the news? To cheer her up?” he suggested to Maddy’s mum, and she nodded.
“What news?” Maddy sniffed sadly.
“Do you remember me telling you that my friend Donna’s cat had kittens a couple of months ago?” Mum asked.
“Oh, yes. You showed me a photo on your phone. They’re gorgeous. There were some tortoiseshell ones – my favourite kind!”
“Good. Because one of them is going to be yours!”
Maddy blinked. “I’m getting a kitten?”
“You can choose which of the litter you’d like. Donna needs to find homesfor them all, and we thought it would be nice for you to have a cat, as you’ve wanted one for so long. Especially as you’re bound to miss Kate – getting to know a kitten might make the Easter holidays a bit less sad.” Her mum looked at her anxiously. “We’re not trying to take your mind off missing her, Maddy. It’s a really sad thing for a friend to move away.”
“It just seemed like a good time,” her dad added.
Maddy nodded. “It is a good time,” she whispered. She couldn’t help still feeling sad about Kate, of course, but at the same time, inside she was jumping about and squeaking. A kitten! A kitten! I’m getting a kitten!
Chapter Two
Maddy’s mum showed her some more photos of the kittens, but it was hard to see them in the pictures on her phone. Three of them were ginger and the other two were tortoiseshells, beautiful black, white and orange cats. They were all coiled and snuggled around each other and their mother, who was black like Ben.
Similar Books
