First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2016 HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,
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Text © Rachel Wells 2016
Illustrations © Katie May Green 2016
Cover design © HarperCollins Publishers 2016
Cover photographs © Shutterstock.com
Rachel Wells and Katie May Green assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780008172053
Ebook Edition © 2016 ISBN: 9780008172060
Version: 2016-04-27
To my gorgeous Godson, Eric
Contents
Have you read
About the Author
My name is Alfie and I am a cat, or more accurately I am a doorstep cat. This means I have one main family who I live with in Edgar Road, but I also visit other homes. I am a bit like a part-time pet in each one. I get fed (yummy), I get stroked and fussed over and I also get to play with lots of children. I really like children. I have many friends, both human and cat, but my latest are the Clover family. They recently moved into the next street to me and I have been spending a bit of time with them.
You see, I also get involved in the lives of my humans, who often need my help. And this cat is very good at helping people. It’s what I do – what any good doorstep cat should do.
I sat on the pavement with the Clover family. Eight-year-old Stanley squealed excitedly as they stared at a van.
‘We actually get to live in there?’ He was looking more unruly than usual, hair messy, T-shirt back to front and the laces of his trainers untied. I needed to give that boy a lesson in grooming – I always made sure my blue-grey fur looked its best. Mind you, his parents were a bit scruffy too. Only Viola was neat and tidy.
‘Yes, dear, it’s our camper van,’ Mrs Clover said. ‘We’re sleeping in it at the campsite.’ The Clovers were going on holiday. ‘Right, well children, chop chop, we must finish packing.’
‘I’ll miss you, Alfie,’ Stanley said, picking me up. I purred. I would miss the Clovers too.
As Stanley put me down, he and Mr Clover went back into the house.
‘Come along, dear,’ Mrs Clover said. Viola looked glum. ‘Whatever is wrong? Don’t you want to go on holiday?’
‘No, I mean yes, I really do. Oh, it doesn’t matter,’ Viola sighed as she hurried after her mum.
After they’d gone, I decided to look around the house on wheels. I climbed in through an open window and my eyes widened. There was a small kitchen area, a room with a toilet, and a table with bench seats round it. Being a cat, I wasn’t sure where they would sleep, but I assumed they would work that out.
The sun streamed through one of the windows. Tucked down the side of the bench was a cushion. It was a perfect spot, so I thought I’d just enjoy a bit of sunbathing before the Clovers left.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinked, yawned and stretched. I felt my stomach lurch as I became aware of motion. I was moving. How was I moving? I sat up but didn’t recognise my surroundings, so I jumped up and looked out of a window – I could see flashes of trees whizzing past. Yikes! I was in the van! I wasn’t meant to be here!
‘YELP!’
‘Alfie?’ Viola said.
I looked and saw Viola and Stanley sitting at a pull-out table, playing a game. Mr Clover was driving, Mrs Clover sat next to him.
‘Oh yikes,’ Stanley said. ‘Alfie, what are you doing here?’
‘Miaow.’ Obviously I’d fallen asleep and woken up in a moving house. Oh well, no problem, they couldn’t have gone far.
‘We’ve been driving for three hours,’ Viola said.
Three