Пола Харрисон - Kitty And The Moonlight Rescue

The kitten gazed at Kitty with terrified blue eyes. “I can’t move!”

“Be brave!” urged Kitty. “I know you can do it.”

The kitten’s whiskers quivered and he reached down, letting Kitty grab hold of his paw. He let go of the clock hand, and Kitty caught him and pulled him close. She could feel his body shaking. The wind swirled around them, and Kitty held tight to the clockface. There was still a long way to go before they reached safety.

“Hold on to my shoulders,” Kitty told the little cat. “Then I’ll have my hands free to climb.”

The kitten scrambled onto her shoulders. Kitty made her way down the tower, careful to keep her balance. The kitten clung to her neck as he peered anxiously at the ground.

“It’s too far!” he squeaked. “We’ll never make it.”

“We will,” Kitty told him. “Can you see my friends on that rooftop over there? Soon you’ll be able to meet them.”

The kitten looked at the rooftop, his whiskers twitching. Kitty kept climbing, but the kitten clutched at her face, covering her eyes with his paws.

Kitty didn’t want to worry him, so instead she used her superpowered senses. She felt along the tower wall for every foothold and handhold, balancing perfectly. She could hear Figaro and Katsumi talking, so she knew exactly where she was going. At last they reached the wide ledge where she had begun her climb.

“Are you ready?” Kitty asked the ginger cat. “I’m going to jump across.”

“You mean—all the way over there?” he squeaked, staring at the gap between the clock tower and the rooftop. “It’s too far, we’ll both fall!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before.” Kitty smiled. “And I have superpowers that help me.”

The kitten’s eyes grew big and round. “Then you’re a real superhero?”

“I’m still learning,” said Kitty. “And this is my very first adventure!”

The little cat gazed at her solemnly. “I trust you! I will hold tight while you jump.”

Kitty got ready, bending her knees and throwing back her arms. Then she made an enormous leap. Her black cape swirled out behind her, and for a moment, Kitty felt as though she was flying through the sky. She landed softly on the other side and set the kitten down on the rooftop. Figaro, Katsumi, and Pixie rushed over to meet them, mewing with excitement.

“That was such a daring rescue!” gasped Pixie. “Were you scared, Kitty?”

“A little bit,” Kitty admitted. “But I knew all of you believed in me, and that helped a lot.”

“You certainly have great climbing skills,” said Katsumi. “Don’t you agree, Figaro?”

“Yes, indeed!” Figaro twirled his whiskers. “But I do think it was very silly of this kitten to be up so high in the first place.” He turned to the kitten. “What in paw’s name were you doing up there?”

The little cat’s nose twitched, and a tear rolled down his furry cheek. “I was searching for somewhere warm to sleep. I thought if I climbed up high it would be easier to look. Then I realized I was too high and I couldn’t get down.”

Kitty crouched beside him. “Please don’t cry! What’s your name? Do you have any family or friends nearby who can look after you?”

The kitten shook his head. “I don’t have any family or friends. I don’t have a name, either.”

Kitty was surprised. How could this lovely kitten not even have a name? “We’d love to be your friends if you’d like that.” She looked at the other cats, and they nodded in agreement.

The kitten wiped a tear away with his paw, and a smile spread across his face. “I’d like that more than anything in the world!”

Chapter

5

Kitty sat down on the rooftop next to the kitten. The streets below were dark and silent. Stars glittered overhead like diamonds scattered across the sky.

“Where do you usually like to sleep?” she asked him.

“I like to find somewhere warm and bright. The thing is . . .” The kitten twitched his ears shyly. “I’m a little bit scared of the dark.”

“Sometimes I feel like that too, especially when the clouds cover up the moon and there are lots of shadows.” Kitty looked from her friends to the beautiful night sky. She smiled, remembering what her mom had told her. “But the nighttime isn’t as frightening as I thought. When the moon comes out, you can feel magic in the air.”

The kitten nodded. His eyes were wide. “Where will you go now?” Figaro asked the kitten. “I’m afraid my humans won’t let me bring visitors into our home. I tried it once, and it caused such a kerfuffle!” The kitten’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t know. Sometimes I sleep outside the seafood store and the shopkeeper gives me some fish when the shop opens in the morning, but the doorstep is cold and hard.”

“You must come with me!” said Kitty firmly. “Everyone in my family loves cats. You can sleep in my room, and I’ll make you a delicious breakfast in the morning.”

The kitten perked up. “Really? I can come with you?”

Kitty smiled. “Of course you can! And tomorrow you can meet my family.”

The kitten bounced up and down with happiness. “I’ve always wanted to see inside a real home. Thank you, Kitty!”

Kitty led the cats down from the roof and back through the square. When they reached the park, the kitten began to tremble. He yowled at a spiky bush and jumped into Kitty’s arms.

“What’s wrong?” asked Kitty.

“It looks like a monster!” squeaked the kitten.

“Don’t worry—it’s nothing to be scared of.” Kitty set him down, but a moment later he hopped back into her arms when a tree branch rustled in the wind.

Kitty carried him through the park and he yowled at the gate, the pond, and the swings. At last his head began to droop. He gave one final squeaky mew at a park bench before closing his eyes. His head rested on Kitty’s shoulder.

“Poor thing!” whispered Pixie. “It must be awful finding everything so scary.”

Figaro rolled his eyes. “Things are certainly quieter now that he’s asleep. For goodness sake, don’t wake him up again!”

Kitty and her friends hurried out of the park and climbed back to the rooftops. They darted along, skipping neatly around the chimneys. At last Kitty spotted her bedroom window at the end of a row of houses. She had left her lamp on, and it glowed behind the curtains.

“Thank you for helping me with my very first adventure,” she said to Figaro, Katsumi, and Pixie.

“It was our pleasure,” said Katsumi with a bow.

“You did a fantastic job! I expect now you’ll want to go on more,” said Figaro with a wink.

“I expect I will!” said Kitty, laughing.

The ginger kitten woke up and waved his paw sleepily. “Goodbye, everyone, and thank you!”

“Goodbye! See you again soon,” said Kitty.

Kitty watched Figaro, with his handsome black coat and white paws, scamper away across the rooftops. Katsumi followed him, her honey-colored fur pale in the moonlight. Pixie left last, her bright white fur gleaming in the darkness.

Kitty sighed happily. It really had been an amazing night!

She set the kitten down on the windowsill and climbed into her bedroom. “I hope you like my room. I have lots of comfy pillows and blankets. Would you like to come and see?”

The kitten’s whiskers shook. “I . . . I don’t really know! I thought I wanted to see a real home, but . . . what if I get trapped inside?”

“You won’t! And I promise I’ll look after you,” said Kitty, surprised.

The kitten backed away to the corner of the windowsill. “I can’t go in! Please don’t be mad!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad!” Kitty reached out and stroked the kitten between his ears. “I just don’t want you to be cold.”