Chloe the Kitten

by Lily Small

  “Yes,” the little mouse replied. “By the big lions.”

  Chloe gulped. She didn’t know there were lions in Misty Wood. Her heart began to pound. Finding Morris’s home might be a lot scarier than she had thought!

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The Rainbow Slide

  Morris looked up at Chloe. His shiny black eyes blinked at her anxiously.

  “Please will you take me home?” he squeaked. “I miss my mommy and daddy.”

  Chloe’s tummy gave a little lurch. She had to keep her promise. It was up to her to get Morris back safely, however scary it might be.

  “Ladybugs and lollipops!” she whispered to herself. “If this little mouse is brave enough to live next door to some big lions, then as sure as my wings are purple, I am brave enough to take him there.”

  She turned to Morris again. “Is your home very far away?”

  “Oh yes. Miles and miles,” Morris replied.

  “In that case,” Chloe said, “I think it would be better if I carried you. Your wings are so small, and you must be very tired. You can climb onto my back. We’ll fly above Misty Wood together. You can help me look out for the lions.”

  Morris clapped his tiny paws. “Thank you! Thank you!” he squeaked excitedly.

  Chloe tucked her basket of dewdrops beneath a hedge to keep it safe. Then she crouched down low as Morris clambered onto her back and perched between her wings.

  “Hold on tight!” Chloe called. With a flick of her shimmering wings she flew up into the sky, brushing the treetops with her sparkly tail as she rose higher and higher.

  “Wheeeeeeeee!” Morris cried.

  Far below, Misty Wood lay stretched out like a colorful patchwork quilt, glimmering in the early morning sunshine. Somewhere down there, among the meadows and the mountains, the grasslands and the glades, Morris’s family was waiting anxiously for him. But where were they?

  A flash of golden fur across a patch of brilliant blue caught Chloe’s eye.

  Lions? Chloe caught her breath and looked closer.

  No, it was only the Pollen Puppies. They were awake and playing in Bluebell Glade, flicking the pollen here and there with their tails so that even more flowers would grow.

  I wonder if they know where the lions live, Chloe thought. She called over her shoulder to her tiny passenger. “Hold on, Morris! We’re going down!”

  With a flutter of fairy wings, Chloe landed in the glade.

  “Hey! What’s going on?” Petey, a floppy-eared puppy, cried as he bounced over.

  “Have you come to play with us?” his friend Max asked as he scampered up. Clouds of yellow pollen fell like gold dust from his coat. “Look, everyone! It’s a Cobweb Kitten who wants to be a Pollen Puppy.”

  “No, I don’t wa—” Chloe began, but Max was already running around her, his tail wagging.

  “First of all, you have to learn how to bark,” Max said. “Show her how to bark, Petey.”

  “But I don’t—” Chloe spluttered. Before she could say any more, Petey started barking.

  “And wag your tail,” Max called. “You have to wag your tail if you want to be a Pollen Puppy. It’s what we do best.”

  Petey barked even louder, and other puppies started joining in, too, until the whole glade became a blur of wagging tails and barking puppies.

  “But—” said Chloe.

  “Oh dear,” squeaked Morris.

  “I don’t want to bark and I don’t want to wag my tail and I don’t want to be a Pollen Puppy!” Chloe shouted at the top of her voice.

  The glade fell silent.

  “Oh,” said Petey.

  “No need to shout,” sniffed Max.

  “I’m sorry,” said Chloe. “I’m sure it’s great fun being a Pollen Puppy, but something very sad has happened, and I need your help.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so?” said Max.

  “What’s happened?” asked Petey.

  “When I was hanging up my dewdrops this morning, I found this little mouse.” Chloe gestured with her paw.

  The puppies, who hadn’t noticed Morris because he was so small, gathered closer.

  “His name is Morris and he got lost on the way to his grandma’s, so I’m helping him find his way back home. But”—Chloe gulped and dropped her voice to a whisper—“Morris says he lives near some lions! Do you know if there are any lions living here in Misty Wood?”

  “Lions?” A spotted puppy called Freckles started to laugh. “Has anyone seen any lions?”

  “Grrr!” Max bared his tiny white teeth.

  “Growl!” Petey sharpened his pointy claws.

  “Roar!” Freckles shook his head so the pollen floated around his ears like a golden mane. “Lions, you say? Here we are!”

  Chloe shook her head crossly. Usually the cheeky Pollen Puppies made her laugh, but this was no time for joking. She had to get Morris home.

  “Please can you help me?” she begged. “Morris has been lost for a very long time.”

  At the sound of Chloe’s sad voice, the puppies stopped their teasing.

  “Sorry,” said Max. “We were only joking.”

  “We really don’t know where the lions live,” Petey piped up.

  “Hmm,” said Freckles. “Why don’t you try looking in Crystal Cave at the side of Heather Hill?”

  “Crystal Cave? That’s a great idea!” Chloe cried.

  “You know how to get there, don’t you?” said Max. “Just follow the rainbow.”

  “Thank you, puppies,” Chloe said with a smile. “Hold on tight, Morris. We’re going up again!”

  “Good-bye! Good luck!” the Pollen Puppies called, their furry tails waving wildly.

  “And if you do ever want to be a Pollen Puppy, just let us know,” Max called out.

  * * *

  Crystal Cave was tucked away on the very darkest side of Heather Hill. Chloe knew exactly where to go.

  Usually the sight of her favorite hill, covered with pretty purple flowers, made her feel happy. Today, however, she felt scared. She had never seen a lion before, but she knew they were the biggest members of the cat family. And a Cobweb Kitten is the smallest, she thought nervously.

  Now someone even smaller needed her help. Morris was counting on her to find his parents. She couldn’t let him down.

  Suddenly, there was a tiny shout in her left ear. “Look, Chloe!” Morris cried. “A rainbow! A rainbow!”

  Sure enough, a rainbow of sparkling light arched across the sky in front of them. Chloe flapped her glittery wings with all her might until she landed on the very top of the rainbow.

  “Hold tight, Morris! We’re going for a ride!” she called over her shoulder.

  “Wheeeeeeeee!” Morris squealed as they started to slide down the rainbow.

  Faster and faster they slid. Chloe’s whiskers tingled as the air whistled through them. Finally, they landed with a soft bump on the far side of Heather Hill, right at the mouth of Crystal Cave.

  The warm colors of the crystals in the cave shimmered across Chloe’s fur like fairy lights. For a moment, she almost forgot what she was looking for. The rainbow ride had been so much fun and Crystal Cave was so pretty—it couldn’t possibly be home to anything scary. Could it?

  Suddenly, a very deep voice boomed out from the depths of the cave. “Who’s there?”

  Chloe fell back in fright.

  “What do you want?” the voice rang out again.

  Chloe crouched down. She was terrified.

  On her back, Morris gave a small squeal and cowered into her trembling fur.

  A dark shadow loomed out of the cave. Chloe could hardly bear to look. Were the Pollen Puppies right? Could this be the hiding place of a large and scary lion?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Crystal Cave

  “Well?” the voice boomed again. “I said, who’s there?”

  Chloe blinked against the dazzling light. “Oh!” she cried. “You’re—”

  “I’m what?” the figure boomed.


  “You’re not a lion!”

  “Of course I’m not a lion!”

  Chloe laughed with relief as the figure emerged. Now that he was standing in the sunlight, she could see he wasn’t anything like a lion. He was a Bark Badger. From his broad black-and-white shoulders sprouted a pair of delicate, graying wings. The stocky creature shuffled forward and frowned down at them.

  “Well,” he said, “what do you little ’uns want? Apart from telling me that I’m not a lion!”

  Chloe opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She might not have been face-to-face with a lion, but she was still a little scared.

  Bark Badgers were very kind fairy animals, but they were also very big and strong. Their nimble paws carved the most beautiful patterns into the tree barks of Misty Wood, and they took their job very seriously indeed. Unlike the cheeky Pollen Puppies, they had no time for jokes or tricks.

  Gathering all her courage, Chloe raised her head and began to speak. “I’m helping this little Moss Mouse,” she said with a trembling voice. “He’s lost and I’m trying to find his home. He says it’s near the lions, but I have no idea where the lions live. The Pollen Puppies suggested I try looking here.”

  “Hmm.” The Bark Badger stroked his whiskery chin thoughtfully. “Lions, you say?”

  Chloe nodded.

  “I have lived in Misty Wood forever and a day, and I have never known there to be lions here,” the Bark Badger said.

  “Oh, bother and broomsticks,” Chloe said with a sad little sigh. “Will I ever get Morris home?”

  The Bark Badger’s wise black eyes began to twinkle. “I can see you are a very helpful and caring kitten,” he said. “So I will give you some advice. Are you listening carefully?”

  Chloe leaned forward. “Oh yes,” she said eagerly.

  “There is a place in Misty Wood that is very dark and very quiet,” the Bark Badger whispered in her ear. “No birds sing. No squirrels scamper. Everything is silent and still. It is in the Heart of Misty Wood, and few have ever been there.” He tapped the side of his nose knowingly with a long, pointy claw. “If there are lions in Misty Wood, that is where they will be hiding.”

  Chloe gave a small meow of fear. “Really, truly?” she whispered.

  “Really, truly.” The Bark Badger nodded.

  “Oh. Well. Thank you,” Chloe squeaked, trying to look braver than she felt. Her mind was racing. She had never ventured into the Heart of Misty Wood before. It sounded very dark. And very scary.

  “What did he say? What did he say?” Morris squeaked from her back.

  “He said we are close to finding your home,” Chloe replied. She couldn’t let Morris know how nervous she was.

  “Yippee! Yippee!” Morris cried, and did a little somersault behind Chloe’s ear.

  “Well, we’d better be off, then.” Chloe smiled bravely at the Bark Badger. “Here I go. Into the Heart of Misty Wood.” She paused. “Into the darkness,” she went on, her voice wobbling ever so slightly.

  “Perhaps you would like something to light your way?” the Bark Badger suggested.

  Chloe smiled. “Oh yes, please.”

  The Bark Badger shuffled back into his cave and soon returned with a piece of crystal taken from the roof of the cave. It glowed with so many different colors it was as if he were holding a piece of rainbow.

  “Thank you. It’s very beautiful,” Chloe breathed.

  “You’re welcome,” the badger replied. “Now, hold it carefully ahead of you and let the light show you the way. Good-bye.” The Bark Badger waved a large paw at them. “And good luck!”

  Chloe flew up into the air, clutching the crystal tightly in her front paws. “Good-bye, Mr. Bark Badger!” she called. “And thank you again!”

  Soon they had left the beauty of Crystal Cave far behind and were venturing deeper into Misty Wood. Chloe held the rainbow crystal before her. Its warm glow lit up the gloom but also cast shadows that darted among the tree trunks. Sometimes it looked as if strange shapes were following them as they flew.

  “It’s so dark,” Morris squeaked. “And scary, too.”

  “It’s only the light playing tricks on us,” Chloe said, trying to sound cheerful. “Now, Morris, do you recognize anything?”

  “No,” Morris replied sadly.

  Chloe flew even deeper into the tangle of trees. It was very dark. And very quiet.

  Up ahead, she saw two pinpoints of light coming from the trunk of a tree. Then they disappeared. Then they beamed brightly at her once more. On and off, on and off the lights blinked.

  Chloe’s tummy gave a fearful lurch as she realized what she was looking at. They weren’t lights.

  They were eyes blinking at her from the dark.

  CHAPTER SIX

  A Magical Wish

  Chloe meowed in surprise and fluttered onto the solid branch of an oak tree with a tiny thud.

  “Ouch,” Morris squeaked.

  “Sshhhh,” Chloe whispered, hardly daring to breathe. Up above her, the eyes blinked again. Chloe gulped. Had she found the lions at last?

  The leaves on the tree above her started to rustle, and from the darkness came a soft noise. It sounded a bit like a lion, stretching its paws and shaking out its mane.

  Chloe shrank back in fear as the leaves slowly parted to reveal the eyes again, growing bigger and bigger.

  But, to Chloe’s relief, there was no lion’s mane to be seen. Instead, the eyes were framed by the feathery face of an owl. A scarlet beak chirped a welcome.

  “T’wit, t’woo! Who are you?”

  Chloe gave a little sigh of delight. “Magic and milk shakes,” she whispered softly to herself.

  “Are you … are you … the Wise Wishing Owl?”

  The owl nodded three times.

  Morris squeaked and Chloe trembled with excitement. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would come nose-to-beak with the most magical animal in all of Misty Wood.

  The Wise Wishing Owl, with her scarlet beak and feathers of gold, was the cleverest and oldest creature in the wood—as old as the oldest oak trees. She had the power to make wishes come true … if you were able to find her.

  “You are very far from home, little Cobweb Kitten. Are you lost?” The Wise Wishing Owl’s voice was like the most beautiful piece of music Chloe had ever heard.

  “Yes,” Chloe said. “I’m trying to help this little Moss Mouse, Morris, find his family. I’ve been searching and searching, but I can’t find them anywhere!” A silvery tear ran down Chloe’s cheek, and she sniffed sadly.

  “There, there, little kitten. Don’t cry,” the Wise Wishing Owl said. “You found me, and not many do. Now, do you have any idea where Morris might live?”

  “Yes. He says he lives by the lions,” Chloe answered with a gulp.

  “The lions! The lions!” Morris squeaked.

  “Oh.” The Wise Wishing Owl furrowed her feathery brow. “I have lived in Misty Wood for a very, very long time, but I have never heard of any lions living here.”

  Chloe gave a long, sad sigh. “That’s what everyone says.”

  The Wise Wishing Owl turned her head slowly from side to side three times. “It helps me to think,” she explained when she saw Chloe staring at her. “And now that I have thought, I believe I know where Morris lives.”

  “Hurray!” Morris squeaked.

  “You do?” Chloe’s face lit up with excitement. “Is it very far?”

  “It certainly is,” the Wise Wishing Owl said with a nod. “Perhaps I could have a word with young Morris?”

  Chloe tilted her head.

  “Hello, Morris,” said the Wise Wishing Owl.

  “Hello,” Morris squeaked. “I’ve lost my mommy and daddy.”

  “I understand,” said the Wise Wishing Owl gently. “Now, let me ask you something. What is your dearest wish?”

  “To find my mommy and daddy,” Morris said with a little sigh.

  “Then I shall grant your wish,” the Wise Wishing Owl said solemnly.


  “Hurray!” Morris cheered.

  “Really?” Chloe asked.

  “Of course,” the Wise Wishing Owl replied. “I always help a fairy animal in need. You have done your best, Chloe, and I can see you are very brave. But you also look very tired. Why not leave the rest to me?”

  “Oh yes, please,” Chloe said.

  “Then hold on to your whiskers!” the Wise Wishing Owl hooted. “I’m sending you home.” The owl flapped her huge wings up and down three times.

  A gentle breeze began to play around the tree branch. Chloe felt a twig brush her face, and the breeze grew stronger. Suddenly, she and Morris were lifted skyward. Up and up they spiraled, traveling faster with each twist and turn. Misty Wood spun beneath them, a blur of colors and light.

  Chloe laughed excitedly. It was even better than sliding down the rainbow!

  All of a sudden the spinning stopped, and they landed with a bump on the ground, a cloud of yellow cushioning their fall.

  “Lions!” Chloe gasped, her head still dizzy. But as her eyes adjusted to the bright daylight, she saw they hadn’t landed on the back of a fierce yellow lion, but in a field of golden dandelions.

  “Lions! Lions!” Morris cried in delight.

  “Sunshine and sparkles!” Chloe said with a smile. “Look! We’re in Dandelion Dell!” She stretched out on the blanket of bobbing yellow flowers. “So you live by the dandelions, Morris.”

  “Yes! Yes!” Morris scampered down from her back and did a cartwheel in delight.

  Chloe chuckled. “I should have known there wouldn’t be any actual lions in Misty Wood.”

  Just then, there was a rustling sound in the dell. The dandelions started to sway. Something—or someone—was making its way toward them. Chloe heard a small, high-pitched noise grow louder as it got nearer.

  “Morris, Morris, Morris, MORRIS!”

  Across the yellow field, a procession of Moss Mice appeared, marching through the dandelions.

  “Mommy! Daddy!” Morris cried, and scampered into the arms of two very relieved-looking Moss Mice. The rest of the procession cheered and waved.