Willow the lonely kitten Read Online Free PDF

I’ve been keeping a close eye on that house ever since I called you. And guess what – that young couple didn’t open the door to let the kitten in until after breakfast. I was relieved, of course. But then, no sooner did they let her into the warmth than they turned her out again.”
    “What do you mean?” Eva asked.
    Miss Eliot looked straight at her. “They went out in the car at about ten o’clock. But before they drove off, they made sure to shoo the kitten out into the front garden and lock the door on her.”

    “Here, Willow!” Eva searched amongst the frozen flower beds in the Shannons’ front garden. Now she didn’t care what anyone said – after what Miss Eliot had just told her, she knew she had to rescue the kitten.
    She called again, then spotted tiny, faint paw prints in the snow. They led from the front doorstep around the side of the house.
    Quickly, Eva followed them. “Willow!” she called again, scared that the fast-falling snow would cover up the only clue the kitten had left. She reached the back garden and took in the stack of cardboardpackaging leaning against the fence. “Willow, where are you?” she called softly.
    By now the paw prints had almost disappeared under fresh snow. Eva could just make out that they were heading for the stack of cardboard, so she made her way there, gently lifting the flattened boxes to peer behind them.

    Miaow! With a terrified cry, Willow shot out from behind the sheets of cardboard.
    “Willow, it’s me – Eva!”
    Miaow! Miaow! The frightened kitten cowered on the back doorstep.
    Eva was down on her knees, trying to coax Willow to come to her when the Shannons’ car returned. She heard the engine stop and doors open and then slam. How am I going to explain this? she thought, picturing the Shannons’ faces when they discovered her in their snowy back garden.

    She froze, listening to the key turning in the front door, feeling the soft snowflakes land on her cold forehead and cheeks. After a short while, the back door opened.
    “Willow, here’s your breakfast!” Jake Shannon called. He rattled a dish of dry cat food to tempt the kitten back into the house. Then he saw Eva. “Blimey!” he muttered. “Hey Julie, there’s an intruder in our back garden!”

    In spite of the cold, Eva felt her face flush bright red as she stood in Jake and Julie Shannon’s kitchen watching Willow eat.
    The moment the kitten had heard Jake rattle the dish, she’d shot between his legs into the house. Julie had joined her husband at the kitchen door and asked Eva to come in and explain.
    “I was worried about Willow,” Eva stammered. “She’s too little to be out in the snow, so I was trying to catch her before she froze.”
    Julie frowned. “How did you know she was outside?”
    Don’t mention Miss Eliot! Eva knew she mustn’t involve the old lady. “I was just passing and I thought I heard miaowing.”
    “We’d only driven to the chemist’s.” Julie was cross. “We weren’t out long. Willow would have been quite all right,” she sniffled, blowing her nose.
    Eva nodded unhappily. “I’m sorry.”
    “That’s OK. Don’t be too hard on Eva,” Jake told Julie. “She wasn’t to know how soon we’d be back. And she was obviously worried about Willow.”
    “Well, she doesn’t need to be. We’re her owners now.”
    “Sorry.” Eva knew that if Julie was cross enough to call Heidi, she’d be in big trouble back home.
    “Time for you to take that medicine and put your feet up,” Jake suggested to his wife after an awkward silence. “And time for you to go, Eva.” He led her down the hall towards the front door.
    “I realize we’re not doing very well with Willow,” he confided quietly as she stepped out on to the drive. “It’s much more difficult than we expected. Moving house is a stressful time, plus Julie is a perfectionist. She hates mess. And to cap it all, she hasn’t been very well.”
    Eva nodded slowly. So why get a pet? she