Magic Kitten: A Christmas Surprise Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Sue Bentley
Tags: Ages 6 & Up
exciting stalls, selling things from all round the world. Coloured light bulbs flashed on the huge Christmas tree and tinsel glittered under the streetlamps. Peoplewrapped in hats and scarves walked about carrying bags and mounds of presents.
As Molly, her parents and grandparents strolled among the stalls Flame popped his head out of her shoulder bag. His nose twitched as he enjoyed the smells of roasting chestnuts and hot spiced chocolate.
‘Isn’t this great?’ Molly whispered to Flame, looking at some pretty silk scarves. ‘I’m going to buy one of these for Mum.’
Flame didn’t answer, but Molly was too busy to notice. She paused to listen to some carol singers holding lanterns, their sweet voices rising on the frosty air. At other stalls, she bought lavender bags for Gran, a keyring for Gramps and a new wallet for her dad.
‘I’m doing really well with buying presents,’ she said, glancing down at Flame. But his head wasn’t sticking up out of her bag. ‘Flame? Are you having a nap?’ She reached her hand inside the bag to stroke him and her fingers brushed against a tightly curled up trembling little body. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked in concern.
‘My uncle’s spies are here. I can sense them,’ Flame whined softly. ‘I must hide!’
Molly’s heart clenched with panic. Flame was in terrible danger. Her mind raced as she tried to decide what to do. There was no way she was letting anyone hurt Flame!
An idea jumped into her mind. ‘Don’t worry! We’re leaving,’ she whispered to Flame.
Spotting her parents at a nearby cheese stall, Molly dashed straight over. ‘Can we go home?’ she pleaded. ‘I feel awful. I think I’m going to be sick!’
Gran and Gramps appeared, holding some parcels. ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Gramps.
‘It’s Molly. She feels ill,’ Mr Paget answered.
‘It’s probably all the free samples she’s tried,’ Gran said. ‘I expect she’ll be OK in a minute.’
‘No, I won’t!’ Molly insisted. She felt desperate. Rolling her eyes, she gave a loud groan and clutched her tummy. ‘I think I’m dying! It’ll be allyour fault if I collapse right here in the market.’
Even Gran looked alarmed.
‘Don’t be so dramatic, Molly. It’s only a bit of old tummy ache,’ her dad said mildly, but he looked worried. ‘Perhaps we’d better take you home.’
‘We’ve almost finished shopping, haven’t we? Let’s all go back,’ Gramps said.
Molly could have kissed him. She flashed him a grateful smile and then remembered that she was supposed to be feeling sick.
As they all hurried towards the car park, she stroked Flame’s trembling little form. ‘Hang on! We’ll soon be out of here,’ she whispered.
Molly didn’t see the dark shadowyshapes slipping between the stalls or the narrow cruel eyes that raked the crowded market.
‘He is very close,’ growled a cold voice.
‘Ebony will reward us well for finding the young prince,’ hissed the other spy.
‘I’m being allowed to stay up late tonight. We’re all going to midnight mass at the cathedral. You’ll love it!’ Molly said happily the following afternoon.
Flame was curled up on her duvet, surrounded by bits of shiny wrapping paper, ribbons and sticky tape. He was back to his normal self, now that the danger from his uncle’s spies seemed to be far behind him.
Molly was wrapping her presents in shiny foil paper. ‘I hope those horrible mean cats keep on going until they jump into the sea and sink! And then you can stay with me forever,’ she said to Flame.
Flame blinked up at her. ‘They may come back and then I will have to leave at once. Do you understand, Molly?’ he mewed seriously.
‘Yes,’ Molly answered in a small voice. g‘But I’m not going to think about that.’
She finished wrapping her presents and putting bows on them. ‘I’ll go and put them under the tree now,’ she said to herself.
Leaving Flame dozing, she went downstairs into the sitting room.
As Molly, her parents and grandparents strolled among the stalls Flame popped his head out of her shoulder bag. His nose twitched as he enjoyed the smells of roasting chestnuts and hot spiced chocolate.
‘Isn’t this great?’ Molly whispered to Flame, looking at some pretty silk scarves. ‘I’m going to buy one of these for Mum.’
Flame didn’t answer, but Molly was too busy to notice. She paused to listen to some carol singers holding lanterns, their sweet voices rising on the frosty air. At other stalls, she bought lavender bags for Gran, a keyring for Gramps and a new wallet for her dad.
‘I’m doing really well with buying presents,’ she said, glancing down at Flame. But his head wasn’t sticking up out of her bag. ‘Flame? Are you having a nap?’ She reached her hand inside the bag to stroke him and her fingers brushed against a tightly curled up trembling little body. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked in concern.
‘My uncle’s spies are here. I can sense them,’ Flame whined softly. ‘I must hide!’
Molly’s heart clenched with panic. Flame was in terrible danger. Her mind raced as she tried to decide what to do. There was no way she was letting anyone hurt Flame!
An idea jumped into her mind. ‘Don’t worry! We’re leaving,’ she whispered to Flame.
Spotting her parents at a nearby cheese stall, Molly dashed straight over. ‘Can we go home?’ she pleaded. ‘I feel awful. I think I’m going to be sick!’
Gran and Gramps appeared, holding some parcels. ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Gramps.
‘It’s Molly. She feels ill,’ Mr Paget answered.
‘It’s probably all the free samples she’s tried,’ Gran said. ‘I expect she’ll be OK in a minute.’
‘No, I won’t!’ Molly insisted. She felt desperate. Rolling her eyes, she gave a loud groan and clutched her tummy. ‘I think I’m dying! It’ll be allyour fault if I collapse right here in the market.’
Even Gran looked alarmed.
‘Don’t be so dramatic, Molly. It’s only a bit of old tummy ache,’ her dad said mildly, but he looked worried. ‘Perhaps we’d better take you home.’
‘We’ve almost finished shopping, haven’t we? Let’s all go back,’ Gramps said.
Molly could have kissed him. She flashed him a grateful smile and then remembered that she was supposed to be feeling sick.
As they all hurried towards the car park, she stroked Flame’s trembling little form. ‘Hang on! We’ll soon be out of here,’ she whispered.
Molly didn’t see the dark shadowyshapes slipping between the stalls or the narrow cruel eyes that raked the crowded market.
‘He is very close,’ growled a cold voice.
‘Ebony will reward us well for finding the young prince,’ hissed the other spy.
‘I’m being allowed to stay up late tonight. We’re all going to midnight mass at the cathedral. You’ll love it!’ Molly said happily the following afternoon.
Flame was curled up on her duvet, surrounded by bits of shiny wrapping paper, ribbons and sticky tape. He was back to his normal self, now that the danger from his uncle’s spies seemed to be far behind him.
Molly was wrapping her presents in shiny foil paper. ‘I hope those horrible mean cats keep on going until they jump into the sea and sink! And then you can stay with me forever,’ she said to Flame.
Flame blinked up at her. ‘They may come back and then I will have to leave at once. Do you understand, Molly?’ he mewed seriously.
‘Yes,’ Molly answered in a small voice. g‘But I’m not going to think about that.’
She finished wrapping her presents and putting bows on them. ‘I’ll go and put them under the tree now,’ she said to herself.
Leaving Flame dozing, she went downstairs into the sitting room.