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Scrambling through the leaves, her paws slipping on the thin branches, the kitten certainly could. She was terribly hungry. Charlie was still stealing all her food, and no one seemed to notice– Sarah was always busy, and Mrs Jones wasn’t very well and was spending most of her time resting in her chair. Quite often she had Charlie sitting on her now, and she would stroke him, while the kitten watched miserably from under the sofa, or peeping out from under the bookcase.

But now she could smell something tangy and lovely, and her stomach was making little rumbling noises. She trotted eagerly along the fence. Oh, the smell was getting even stronger and better.

The kitten stopped suddenly, and wobbled on the fence. She was there– the girl from yesterday! And there was another one with her. The kitten watched them warily.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_16]

Then the girl she’d seen before held out a little packet, and tipped something out of it, and the kitten knew that was where the wonderful smell was coming from. The tip of her little pink tongue stuck out, she was so hungry.

Amy couldn’t help giggling. The kitten was so cute, with her tongue just poking out like that. It made her look really silly.

The kitten put her front paws up on the tree branch, and the girls exchanged excited glances. Then she jumped all the way up, and found the first cat treat. She crunched it up in seconds, and scampered forwards, sniffing for more. When she got to the end of the branch, after about six more treats, she stopped and looked anxiously at Amy and Lily. She could see– and smell – the big pile of treats just in front of them.

Amy sighed.“Perhaps she’s too frightened to come closer,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the kitten sprung up on to the tree house ladder, and Amy and Lily held their breath. Then, keeping one eye on the girls, she started to gobble up the treats from the doorway.

When they were all gone, she licked the place where they’d been, then looked up hopefully.

“She’s still hungry!” Amy said. “Let’s open another packet.”

Lily shook her head.“No way. She’ll be sick. A whole packet’s loads more than she should have, anyway!”

Amy nodded. Then she held out one hand, very slowly, to the kitten, who was staring at her seriously. Amy scratched her gently behind the ears, and she half-closed her eyes with pleasure.

“Hello, Misty,” Amy whispered.

Chapter Five

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

The kitten sat there a little nervously, still ready to run, as Amy stroked her and then Lily joined in too.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Amy said proudly.

“The prettiest kitten I’ve ever seen – except Stella,” Lily added, out of loyalty. “Oh, Amy, she’s started purring!”

She had. Amy had just found the exact itchy spot behind her left ear, and the kitten had her eyes closed, and a tiny little throaty purr was making Amy’s hand buzz.

“Tea, girls!”

The kitten’s eyes shot open. She leaped off the ladder and raced back along the branch, jumping down on to the fence and disappearing away.

“Bye, Misty!” Amy called after her quietly. “Why did Mum have to pick just then to call?” she complained to Lily, as they scrambled down from the tree house. “I think Misty might even have let us pick her up.”

Lily nodded.“She was definitely friendly. But you’re right, she is much too thin. When I stroked her I could feel her ribs. She needs a nice owner to feed her properly.”

The kitten obviously agreed. She came back to the tree house the next afternoon at the same time, and Amy opened one of the tins of cat food she’d bought. She put it in an old plastic bowl she’d borrowed from the kitchen cupboard, and sat in the doorway of the tree house, watching Misty gobble it down. Misty let Amy stroke her again, too, and even put her paws on Amy’s leg, as though she was considering climbing into her lap.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

“Are you going out to the tree house again?” Mum asked. “It’s raining, though! I didn’t realize you loved it that much.”

“It’s my best present ever!” Amy giggled, a little guiltily. Shedid love the tree house, but that wasn’t the main reason she was spending so much time out there. Every afternoon that week, as soon as she got home, she’d rushed straight there to look out for Misty.

She threw on her hoodie over her uniform and went out to the tree house. The ladder was slippery from the rain so she climbed up slowly, peering out along the fence for a little kitten. But no kitten came running to see her today. She sighed. Maybe Misty was sheltering from the rain somewhere.

She stood up and pulled open the tree house door, planning to sit and read on the beanbag, while keeping an eye out for Misty through the window.

But the beanbag was already occupied.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_17]

A little kitten– her fur shiny and spiky from the rain – was curled up on it, fast asleep.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]