The Naughty Kitten

by Paula Harrison

  Bea glanced at Jenny, who’d turned away to shake the crumbs off the picnic rug. None of the grown-ups were looking! Quickly she bent down and popped the kitten inside the picnic basket. “Don’t worry. I’ll look after you!” she whispered.

  For Isla Maher, who loves cats

  Chapter One

  The Animal-mad Princess

  Bea raced across the royal garden with a mouse-shaped kite in her hand. Its pink ears fluttered and its ribbon tail waved in the breeze. Her younger brother, Alfie, ran after her holding a dinosaur kite over his head.

  The round golden towers of Ruby Palace gleamed in the sunshine behind them and little puffs of white cloud were sailing across the bright blue sky. It was perfect weather for kite flying!

  “Wait for us please, Princess Beatrice,” called Mr Wells, the royal tutor, walking down the path with Natasha, Bea’s older sister.

  Nine-year-old Bea was the middle child of the three royal children. Their mother had died from a fever when Alfie was tiny, so they lived at Ruby Palace with their father, King George, and all the royal servants. Most mornings were spent in lessons with Mr Wells in the palace school room, but today they were having a special trip to the Savara Kite Festival.

  Bea reached the palace gate and tapped her foot impatiently. Mr Wells and Natasha were walking so slowly! Jenny, one of the palace maids, was following them with a picnic basket full of goodies for lunch.

  Climbing on to the gate, Bea gazed down the hill at the town. Savara was a large cluster of shops and houses, beside a long sandy beach edged with palm trees. The harbour next to the beach was full of colourful fishing boats.

  Everything looked very small from the top of the hill. There were rows of little red rooftops, a green square, which was the park, and streets full of tiny people. Beyond that was the sea, sparkling like diamonds.

  Posters about the Savara Kite Festival had been hanging up in the town for weeks. The festival was starting at eleven o’clock and there would be a prize for the best kite-flying and for the most interesting home-made kite.

  Bea had built her kite in the shape of a giant mouse with whiskers made from drinking-straws and a brown ribbon tail. The kite looked like Fluff, the mouse she kept under her bed. Bea was animal-mad and loved every creature she met, from squirrels to ladybirds. But every time she begged her dad, King George, to let her have a pet his answer was always the same: I’m sorry, Beatrice, but the royal palace is no place for a pet.

  So Bea had begun secretly looking after any animal that needed her help. She’d rescued Fluff from a lonely hole behind the piano in the dining room and now he slept in a cardboard box under her bed. She’d saved Crinkly the spider before the housekeeper could reach him with her broom. She’d also built a nest in the garden shed for some doves whose tree had blown down in a storm.

  Bea loved Fluff and Crinkly but she still longed for more pets. She wished she had a gorgeous furry rabbit or a beautiful pony with a soft white mane.

  Sometimes she talked to Alfie about the animals she rescued but she never told Natasha. Her sister loved being in charge and never broke royal rules. If she heard about Bea’s animals she might tell Mrs Stickler. The royal housekeeper hated anything that caused a mess and was sure to banish any creature from the palace immediately.

  “Look, Bea!” Alfie pointed to a dragon kite gliding in the distance. The sunlight glinted on its bright-red scales and spiky tail.

  “They’ve started the festival!” Bea yanked the gate open. “Mr Wells, can we meet you at the bottom of the hill?”

  “All right then,” the teacher replied. “But be careful not to slip over and…”

  Bea raced through the gate, missing the rest of her teacher’s words. The wind whistled in her ears and Alfie’s feet thudded on the path behind her. They passed street after street until they reached the park, which was full of kites and people.

  A grey-haired lady with a clipboard stopped them just inside the park gate. “Hello, I’m Mrs Brown and I’m running the festival. Could I have your names, please, and a brief description of your kites?”

  “I’m Bea and this is Fluff the giant mouse,” said Bea, holding out her kite.

  “I’m Alfie and this is Mr Triceratops. Rahhh!” Alfie shook his kite as he roared.

  Jenny hurried up behind them with the picnic basket. “Actually that should be Princess Beatrice and Prince Alfred,” she told the lady with the clipboard. “And Princess Natasha will be here in just a moment.”

  Mrs Brown peered at Alfie and Bea. “Your Royal Highnesses! I almost didn’t recognise you.”

  Bea watched eagerly as the dragon kite soared over their heads. “Can we start flying our kites now?”

  “Of course you can! Just find a space so that your kite doesn’t get tangled with any others.” Mrs Brown turned to Natasha as she walked primly through the park gate. “Good morning, Princess Natasha. Are you flying a kite too?”

  “No, but I’d love to help with the judging.” Natasha’s eyes gleamed.

  “Oh! Well, I don’t see why not,” said Mrs Brown. “Mr Patel from the bakery is our official judge but I’m sure he’d love some help.”

  “I think I’ll be really good at it!” said Natasha. “Can I borrow a clipboard so I can make some notes?”

  Bea looked for somewhere to fly her kite but every time she found an empty space another kite swooped past. At last she found a place at the edge of the park and unwound her kite strings. Waiting for a strong gust of wind, she tossed her mouse kite into the air. It hung there for a moment, its whiskers quivering. Then the breeze caught it and it soared into the sky.

  Bea let the strings out gently and then tugged them to help the kite catch the wind again. Her stomach swooped. The mouse kite was flying!

  A seagull glided past, flying towards the harbour. Bea heard shouts and laughter all around her but she never took her eyes off her kite. It would be amazing if she could make it loop the loop. She had once seen a kite flier do awesome stunts with their kite and she wanted to try that too.

  She’d decided to be brave and have a go when a huge gust of wind blew in from the sea. The gust took hold of Bea’s kite, tugging it along. Bea hung on to the strings and she was dragged along too. The kite spiralled round and round like water going down a plughole. Then it twisted sideways and blew straight into a tree.

  “Bother!” cried Bea, tugging on the strings.

  The kite was wedged between two branches. Bea pulled again but nothing happened so she stopped, afraid she might break the strings. The tree had plenty of low branches so she could just climb up and fetch it. But what if Mr Wells was cross when he saw her scrambling up a tree?

  She glanced round. Mr Wells was watching the dragon kite with Natasha, who was busy scribbling notes on her clipboard. Bea climbed the tree swiftly and took hold of the kite. When it still wouldn’t move she clambered a little higher, hoping to free the kite without tearing the cloth. A gust of wind rocked the tree and Bea held on tight. Branches creaked and the leaves over her head rustled.

  The gust of wind faded but the leaves above her went on rustling. Bea looked up just as a little furry face with big green eyes popped out from between the branches. It was a tiny kitten with beautiful stripy ginger fur. The kitten mewed sadly, its gaze fixed on Bea.

  “Oh, hello kitten! What are you doing up here?” asked Bea in surprise. “Are you stuck?”

  The kitten gave a tiny, shaky mew. Another blast of wind hit the tree and the branches swung wildly. The kitten crouched low, staring around with wide eyes. Its tiny claws gripped tightly to a branch.

  A cold prickle ran down Bea’s back. She had to get the little cat to safety! The wind was growing stronger and the kitten was in terrible danger.

  Cha
pter Two

  Pets and Picnics

  The kitten’s big green eyes grew even wider as Bea edged along the branch. She held out her hand, letting the kitten sniff it. “Don’t worry!” she said softly. “I’ll get you down from there.”

  The kitten mewed and rubbed its head against her hand. Bea’s heart melted. This was the most adorable cat ever!

  “Princess Beatrice, please come down!” Mr Wells called from the bottom of the tree. “I really don’t think climbing up there was a good idea.”

  Bea held on tight as another gust of wind swept by. “Just a minute!” she yelled down. “There’s a little kitten – I can’t just leave it here.”

  “Princess Beatrice, please be careful!” Jenny squeaked.

  “It’s all right. I’ll be down in a second.” Bea climbed to a higher branch. She had to grab the little animal without letting go of the tree. If the kitten panicked and tried to climb out of reach this could get very tricky indeed.

  “It’s all right, little kitty. Everything will be fine.” She reached out and slipped her hand under the kitten’s fluffy belly, scooping him up. Holding the creature close, she climbed down the tree using one hand.

  A round of applause broke out as she reached the ground. Turning round, she found a crowd of people watching.

  “Honestly, Princess Beatrice!” Mr Wells had gone pale. “What would your father, King George, say if he was here? I’m sure you do these sorts of things to frighten me.”

  “And to show off,” said Natasha.

  Bea ignored her sister. “Sorry, Mr Wells! I really didn’t mean to scare you. Does anyone know who this kitten belongs to?”

  No one replied and a few people shook their heads. Bea frowned. The kitten didn’t have a collar but she was sure it had to belong to somebody.

  “Come and have some lunch, Princess Beatrice,” said Jenny. “I’ve set out the picnic.”

  “And you can put the cat down now,” added Natasha. “Oh, is that your kite stuck in the tree?”

  But Bea didn’t want to put the kitten down and she didn’t mind so much about her kite any more. After all, kittens were a lot more important than kites. She held the little ginger cat close to her chest as she sank on to the picnic rug.

  “Did you see Mr Triceratops do that loop the loop?” Alfie ran up with the dinosaur kite under his arm. “Hey, where did you get that kitten?”

  “I rescued him from that tree over there,” Bea told him.

  “He’s a very lucky kitten and you’re very lucky not to have fallen out of the tree.” Jenny passed round cups of lemonade. “I didn’t know you were so good at climbing.”

  Bea smiled to herself. She climbed trees in the palace garden all the time when the grown-ups weren’t looking. Alfie started helping himself to the picnic. There were sandwiches, pots of raspberry jelly and a plate of chocolate muffins.

  The kitten wriggled, trying to climb over Bea’s shoulder. Bea stroked his soft ginger fur until he settled down in her lap. He purred so loudly that Bea could feel it from his head right down to his lovely stripy tail.

  “We’ll return to the palace straight after the picnic,” said Mr Wells. “I shall be glad when we’re back there safe and sound.”

  “But Mrs Brown said I could announce the prize winners with Mr Patel,” cried Natasha.

  “And I have to find out who this kitten belongs to.” Bea finished her sandwich and jumped to her feet. She walked around the park asking everyone if they knew who owned the kitten but no one could help.

  More flying displays began. A majestic eagle kite with enormous wings soared upwards. It glided across the sky, performing three somersaults in a row. The crowd clapped eagerly. A teddy-bear kite flew into the air next followed by a plane kite with stripy blue-and-yellow wings.

  Finally, the dragon kite took to the air again. Its red scales glinted with each twist and turn, and its spiky tail flicked in the wind. The crowd gasped as it dived right over their heads. Everyone applauded the kite flier – a grey-haired lady in a green jumper.

  Mr Patel stepped forward and raised his hand for quiet. “Thank you, everyone! I’m sure you’ll agree this has been a really exciting day. I’m pleased that Princess Natasha, who’s helped a great deal with the judging, will now present the prizes.”

  Natasha beamed as she stepped forward holding the medals. “The first prize for kite acrobatics goes to…” she paused dramatically. “The flier of the dragon kite!”

  Bea nodded as everyone clapped. The dragon kite had been amazing. The kitten wriggled in her arms but calmed down as Bea stroked him softly under the chin.

  “Oh, Princess Beatrice!” Mrs Brown hurried past. “I see you’re still carrying that kitten around.”

  “No one seems to know where he’s come from,” Bea explained.

  “Well, he’s much too small to find his own way home,” said Mrs Brown. “I think Mr Patel has an empty shed at the back of his bakery. Perhaps we can keep the little cat in there until we find his owner. I’ll ask him now!”

  Bea stared after her in dismay. She knew Mrs Brown was only trying to help but she didn’t think the kitten should be kept in a cold shed for the night. It didn’t sound very comfortable at all! What if the poor thing got lonely or scared? She was determined that the kitten should be cared for properly.

  “Hey, Bea!” Alfie ran up to her. “Look – I got your kite out of the tree.”

  “Thanks Alfie,” said Bea.

  Alfie spun the two kites over his head. “Bother! Mr Wells is waving at us. I think he wants to leave.”

  Bea bit her lip. Mrs Brown might come back at any moment to take the kitten to Mr Patel’s shed. She really couldn’t let the little animal be taken away! But her dad would never let her keep a cat at Ruby Palace. He would say what he always said: Beatrice, the royal palace is no place for a pet.

  Alfie opened the picnic basket and peered in. “Rats! There’s nothing left. Natasha must have eaten that leftover muffin.”

  Bea stared at the picnic basket. If she took the kitten back home it would only be for a short time … just until she found the animal’s real owner. Her heart beat faster. “You need lots of love and attention, don’t you?” she whispered into the kitten’s ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll look after you!”

  She glanced at Jenny, who’d turned away to shake the crumbs off the picnic rug. None of the grown-ups were looking! Quickly she bent down and popped the kitten inside the picnic basket. Then she shut the lid firmly.

  Jenny folded up the rug and glanced at Bea. “I’m glad you gave that kitten back, Princess Bea. I think we’re ready to go.” She reached for the handle of the basket.

  “It’s all right – I’ll carry it.” Bea picked up the hamper.

  Alfie giggled and stared at the basket. “I can help! Let me have a go.”

  “You’re carrying the kites.” Bea shot her brother a look, warning him not to give anything away.

  The kitten scratched the side of the basket and then began to mew. Natasha looked round suspiciously so Bea started humming to cover the sound. She let the others walk ahead as they climbed the hill to the palace.

  “Shall I take the picnic basket to the kitchen, Princess Beatrice?” asked Jenny as they reached the palace steps.

  “I guess so.” Bea let Jenny take the basket, cross that she couldn’t think of a reason to say no. “But I’ll come with you. I … um … just need a glass of water.”

  “Please come to the school room once you’ve had a drink, Princess Beatrice,” said Mr Wells. “We must complete our history lesson.”

  Bea followed Jenny to the kitchen. She desperately hoped the kitten didn’t start mewing again. How was she going to get the little cat out of the basket without anyone seeing?

  Chapter Three

  Feeding a Tiger

  Bea’s heart sank as she followed Jenny into the palace kitchen. Mrs Stickler, the royal housekeeper, was talking to the palace chef. Bea was certain neither of them would be happy to see the kitten. Mr
s Stickler didn’t like animals and Chef Darou hated anything messing up his kitchen.

  “I want you to make sure tonight’s dinner has lots of vegetables.” The housekeeper brushed a speck of dust off her perfectly neat blouse. Her sharp eyes darted round the kitchen. “King George wants everything to be healthy and nutritious. Perhaps the meal could begin with vegetable soup followed by a stir fry with rice and beans.”

  “Rice and beans!” The chef paced up and down, waving his thin arms dramatically. A tall, white cook’s hat wobbled on his head. “I’ve ordered some lovely pieces of salmon from the fishmonger. What am I supposed to do with those now?”

  “I don’t know! I suppose you’ll have to put them in the freezer.” Mrs Stickler passed Bea on the way to the door. “Do you need something, Princess Beatrice? Princes and princesses aren’t supposed to come into the kitchen you know.”

  There was the sound of an engine outside and brakes squeaking.

  Chef Darou raised his hands in mock despair. “Here’s the fish van now. Another wonderful menu turns to dust!”

  Mrs Stickler ignored him, her gaze fixed on Bea. “Well, Princess Beatrice? What are you here for?”

  “I’m just getting a drink,” explained Bea.

  “I’ll get that for you.” Jenny set down the picnic basket and took a glass from the cupboard.

  Mrs Stickler left the room and Chef Darou marched outside to the fish van, still muttering to himself. Bea grabbed a tea towel and edged towards the basket. Checking that Jenny wasn’t watching, she opened the lid and scooped up the kitten before it could run away. The little cat gave an indignant mew and scrabbled at Bea’s arm with his tiny paws. Bea quickly wrapped the kitten in the tea towel till only a tiny pair of eyes and ears stuck out of the top.