e6994b9877246fe27c1f90746fa83745

Suddenly the fur on her back rose up as she sensed that another cat was in her garden, and not one she liked. She’d met quite a few other cats over the last few weeks. Some had been friendly, and some had warned her away. She jumped round, whiskers bristling, and saw an enormous dark shape creeping towards her. A dark shape thathissed.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_9]

Star squeaked with fright and backed up against the wall, darting a quick, desperate glance at her cat flap. But it was still shut tight.

The black cat padded closer and hissed again, and then swiped at her with one huge dark paw, sending her skidding away.

Star skittered across the garden and dived for the hole under the fence. Frantically, she squeezed her way through, even though it was really far too tight, and shot out into Jasmine’s garden. At least the hole was too small for that huge black cat to follow her. Star ran over to Jasmine’s back door and let out a panicky howl, hoping Jasmine would come and rescue her.

She’d been right. The hole was too small for the black cat. But she could hear him scrambling up the fence…

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Jasmine was asleep, dreaming of a horrible spelling test, when her teacher suddenly turned into a mewing cat. She wriggled and turned over, muttering in her sleep. But the meowing didn’t stop, and eventually she woke up, blinking worriedly into the darkness. That was Star!

Jasmine hopped out of bed and dragged on her dressing gown. She was leaning over the top of the stairs when her dad came out of the living room.

“Oh, did they wake you, Jasmine? Don’t be scared; it’s just some cats fighting in the garden. I’m going to chase them away.”

Jasmine shook her head anxiously, and ran down the stairs towards him.“No, Dad, don’t! That sounds like Star, the kitten from next door. I’m sure she’s not fighting. She’s really scared, I can tell.”

Her dad sighed.“Your mum said you’d fallen in love with that cat. Come on, then, let’s see what’s going on.”

He opened the back door, and there on the step, shivering, was a tiny little tabby thing, her fur all up on end and her tail looking like a feather duster. Lurking a couple of metres away, its eyes shining green in the light from the kitchen, was the biggest black cat Jasmine had ever seen.

“Oh! It’s Sam, from down the road. He’s always fighting. He’s only got half an ear, and Mrs James has to take him to the vet about once a fortnight. We can’t let him fight with Star, he’s so huge he’d just squash her!” Jasmine went out on to the step, not caring about her bare feet.“Shoo, Sam! Go home, bad cat!”

Sam backed off, but only a little way. Star gave a miserable little mew, and Jasmine picked her up gently.“Dad, please can we bring her inside? I know the Murrays wouldn’t mind, not if she was going to get hurt.”

Her dad sighed and looked over at her mum, who’d come into the kitchen to see what was happening.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_10]

“Why can’t she go home?” Mum asked, sounding reluctant. “Hasn’t she got a cat flap?”

Jasmine shrugged.“Maybe she’s too scared to get past Sam?”

“I’ll nip next door and see if the Murrays are home. It didn’t look like their lights were on though.” Dad went round to the front of the house.

Jasmine cuddled Star, feeling her heart racing inside her fragile body. She was still such a little cat.

Dad came back, shaking his head.“No, they’re definitely out.”

Jasmine’s mum sighed. “Well, maybe we had better hold on to her. Just till Helen and Andy get home. They must have gone out for the evening.”

Even though it was late, Jasmine’s mum and dad let her stay downstairs with Star – it was a Friday evening, so there was no school the next day. And when Jasmine pointed out that Star probably hadn’t had any tea, Mum even found a tin of tuna for her.

But it got later and later, and Jasmine couldn’t stop yawning. Star was curled up fast asleep on her lap on the sofa, and Jasmine’s mum shook her head, laughing.

“Go up to bed, Jasmine. And yes, you can take her with you, otherwise I should think she’ll howl herself silly in the kitchen. We’ll just have to take her back in the morning.”

Jasmine looked up at her in delight.“Really?” She had been trying so hard not to yawn in case Mum sent her off to bed, but she’d never thought they’d let her take Star upstairs, not after what Mum had said last time.

She stood up, draping sleepy little Star over her shoulder like a soft, furry scarf, and crept upstairs. She set Star down on her bed while she took off her dressing gown, then snuggled carefully under the duvet, trying not to disturb her.

Jasmine was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a quiet purring, just next to her ear, as Star burrowed down beside her. Jasmine smiled in her sleep and felt like purring, too.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_11]

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

The next morning Jasmine slept late after her exciting night, and it was nine o’clock when she and Star wandered downstairs. It had been so lovely waking up and finding a cat curled up next to her!