A Kitten Called Tiger Page 4

  He had gone up the tree so fast, he hadn’t really thought about anything at all, only escaping. Now that it was light, the ground seemed so far away and he realized that he was higher up than he had ever been before. Far higher up than he wanted to be. Tiger mewed in sudden fright, again and again. He was stuck.

  Ava ran out of school, still pulling on her raincoat, with Jess chasing after her. She had spent the whole day watching the hands creeping round the classroom clock, desperate for home time, so she could go and search for Tiger again. Mum had promised that if he turned up, she would ring the office and get the school secretary, Mrs Marshall, to take a message down to Ava and Bel, saying that Tiger was back. There hadn’t been a message, though. Ava had even gone to the office at lunchtime to check, just in case Mrs Marshall had been too busy to come to her class.

  Mum had also explained to her teacher, Mrs Atkins, which was good. Otherwise Ava thought she’d probably have got into trouble, as she’d hardly done any work all day. She’d just been waiting and waiting.

  She could see Mum and Lucy by the gate but Mum didn’t look happy – she’d probably be jumping up and down and waving if it was good news.

  “Did you ask the neighbours again?” Ava burst out, looking up at Mum anxiously.

  “I did. Lucy and I went all the way up and down the street, and to the roads close by. And I rang the vet’s but they hadn’t seen him either. That’s good news, Ava. It means –” Mum swallowed – “well, it means he hasn’t been hit by a car and taken there.”

  Ava nodded, her eyes filling with tears again. She sniffed. “Yes. That’s good.”

  Jess came hurrying up and gave Ava a hug. “We can look for him on the way home. I really want to help and my mum will, too. Mia’s going for tea at Amy’s house.”

  Ava’s mum smiled at her. “Thanks, Jess. I’m sorry we didn’t walk with you this morning. We were so late, I ended up dropping the girls in the car – we went looking for Tiger again before breakfast, you see.” She sighed. “Not that you ate anything, Ava. Please tell me you ate your lunch? Dad told me you didn’t have dinner last night, either.”

  “I ate a bit,” Ava said. She had – a tiny bit. She just didn’t feel hungry. There was too much worry inside her to fit in food as well.

  “There’s Bel.” Mum waved as Bel’s class came out into the playground. Ava went over to the gate and stood a little way away with Jess. She didn’t want to hear Mum explaining to Bel that Tiger was still missing. She’d tried so hard to be brave and to tell Lucy and Bel that it was going to be OK – but she was starting to think that it wasn’t going to be OK at all.

  Tiger had watched people going along the path all day long. He’d mewed, hoping they’d look up and see him, and help him get down. But it was a wet, windy day and the few people hurrying by hadn’t heard the sad little noises up above. He was starting to feel desperate. Every time the wind gusted the tree shook, and the branch where he was perched swung up and down.

  Where was Ava? Why had he ever gone out into the front garden in the first place? He should have just stayed safe at home with Ava and Lucy and Bel!

  There were footsteps again now. But no one was going to hear him – they hadn’t all the other times. Miserably he slunk back along the branch, right up against the trunk of the tree, trying to stay out of the wind.

  The footsteps came closer – they were almost under the tree now. And then Tiger’s ears pricked up as he heard a familiar voice.

  “I’m sorry, Jess. I’m just so worried about him. If I cry in front of Bel and Lucy they’ll be really upset. They think that because I rescued Tiger before, I’m going to be able to find him.”

  “We will find him,” Jess said, giving Ava a quick hug. “I’ll help you make some posters when we get back. He’s probably stuck in someone’s shed.”

  “Maybe…”

  Tiger sprang up, forgetting for a moment to be scared of the swaying branch. He darted out as far as he could and mewed frantically for Ava.

  Ava froze in the middle of the path. “I heard him! Jess, I heard Tiger mewing!”

  Jess stopped, staring around. “Oh, wow! I heard him that time, too! Where is he, though? I can’t see him.”

  Ava turned round slowly, listening for the mewing, trying to work out where it was coming from. She was almost certain it was Tiger – he was all right! At least, she hoped he was. He sounded scared.

  “I can’t see him. Oh! Jess, look! He’s up there!” Ava pointed over to the tall tree by the side of the alley.

  “Where?” Jess squinted up at the tree. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes!” Ava’s voice shook. She pointed again, impossibly far up into the branches. “Right at the top. Tiger! Tiger! He can see us!”

  Tiger yowled loudly and started pacing up and down the branch.

  Jess swallowed. “Do you think he’s been there all this time? Is he stuck?”

  “He must be. Mum! We found him!” Ava waved madly at her mum, who was just catching up with them, along with Jess’s mum. “Bel, he’s here!”

  Bel ran over and Mum broke into a jog with Lucy’s pushchair. “Up in the tree? I might have known he’d be stuck somewhere silly! Oh, Ava, I’m so relieved, well done…” Her voice trailed off as she looked up into the tree and saw how high up Tiger was. He was still walking up and down the branch, mewing down at them. “Oh, my goodness!”

  “How are we going to get him down?” Ava asked, clutching her mum’s arm. “I don’t mind climbing trees but I don’t think I can get up that far.”

  Mum shook her head firmly. “You’re definitely not climbing. I don’t want you stuck up there as well. We could call Dad but it’ll take him quite a while to get back from work. I wonder if we could ring the fire brigade?”

  “A fire engine?” Bel asked, hopping up and down excitedly.

  “They couldn’t get a fire engine down here,” Jess’s mum put in. “But Dave might be able to reach her if he used his long ladder.”

  Ava looked at her hopefully. Dave was Jess’s dad and he had ladders for trimming trees. “Has he got a really tall ladder? We’ve only got a little one.”

  Jess’s mum nodded, smiling at her. “He definitely has. And I’m pretty sure he said he was doing a garden down the road today. It’s going to be all right, Ava.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Hey, love. Look, are you nearly done? You’re in Fircroft Lane, aren’t you? It’s Ava and Bel’s kitten, he’s stuck up a tree in the alley by their house. Have you got your long ladder with you?” She listened for a moment and then said, “You’re a star. See you in a minute.” Then she patted Ava’s shoulder. “It’s OK. He was just finishing. He’ll be here soon.”

  Tiger peered down through the branches at Ava. He wanted to get to her so badly but he didn’t see how he could. Ava kept calling up to him. He loved hearing the sound of her voice. Surely she’d find a way to bring him down?

  Then he saw someone else – a man, carrying a long ladder. Ava and the others rushed over to talk to him, and Tiger stared at them, wondering what was happening. Then the tree juddered as the ladder was pushed against it and Tiger gave a little mew of fright as he felt the branch shake again.

  Tiger sank his claws tightly into the bark. The ladder was growing taller now, pushing up towards him.

  Tiger was still jumpy from the incident with the bike and a whole night stuck up the tree on his own, and he hated the look of the metal thing that was getting closer and closer. What was going on? Why wasn’t Ava coming for him?

  Mewing, he started to edge back, out along the branch to the narrow end, shaking and bouncing in the wind. He had to get away before that metal thing reached him.

  Jess’s dad climbed back down the ladder, shaking his head. “It’s no good. He’s terrified, poor little thing. He’s going further and further along the branch as I get closer to him. I don’t want to risk it.”

  Ava’s mum sighed. “Oh no. Thanks so much, Dave. Maybe I should try? Perhaps he’d be OK with someone he knew.
”

  “Mum!” Ava stared at her. “You can’t! You hate heights.” Dad was always teasing Mum about it. She didn’t even like the big slide at the funfair. “What about me?” Ava asked, swallowing her nerves. She really didn’t want to climb another ladder, not after she’d almost fallen off that ladder a few weeks before. But someone had to get Tiger down.

  Mum shook her head. “I don’t want you going up that high! And how are you going to climb down again with a wriggly little kitten?”

  “Tiger isn’t wriggly when Ava carries him,” Bel put in.

  Ava nodded. “I’ve got a better idea, anyway. Why don’t we get the cat carrier? If I put that on the branch, with cat treats in it, he’d definitely climb in. Then I could shut the door and pass it down to Jess’s dad.”

  “That’s actually a really good plan,” Dave agreed. “I could climb up behind Ava and help her. The ladder’s not strong enough for two adults on it at the same time but me and Ava should be fine.”

  Mum nodded slowly. “All right, if you reckon that will work. I’ll run home and get the carrier and the cat treats.”

  It seemed like the longest five minutes ever. Ava held Bel’s hand and they all took it in turns to call lovingly up to Tiger. But then, at last, Ava saw her mum come hurrying back.

  “Right, Ava,” Dave said, as Mum opened the treats and placed them inside the carrier. “You start climbing up. Your mum and Jess’s mum are going to hold the ladder steady, and I’m going to climb up behind you with the carrier. I’ll pass it to you when you’re ready.”

  Ava nodded, trying to wriggle her fingers. They felt so cold and she knew it was only because she was nervous… But what if she slipped while she was climbing the ladder? It was twice as high as the garden wall, at least.

  She just couldn’t slip, that was all. She had to do it.

  Slowly she put her foot on the first rung of the ladder and began to climb. She didn’t look down at the ground or even up at Tiger. She just looked at the rungs in front of her and kept going.

  “I’m coming up behind you now, Ava. Hold on tight and don’t worry if you feel the ladder shaking!” Dave called.

  “OK!” Ava called back, her voice odd and high. The ladder was shaking and it was making her feel a bit sick.

  “Ava, you’re nearly there!” That was Bel’s voice, sounding a very long way below.

  “A couple more rungs, Ava.” Mum called. “You’re doing so well.”

  Ava lifted her face a little to look up at the branches and gasped as she saw Tiger for the first time since she’d started climbing. He was there, staring at her, and he looked so scared.

  Suddenly Ava felt a tiny bit better. “Hey, Tiger,” she murmured. “We’re going to get you down.” Carefully she went up two more rungs, so that she was right next to Tiger’s branch. She definitely wouldn’t have been able to carry the kitten back down, she thought, shivering a little.

  “Here’s the carrier,” Dave said quietly. “Can you grab it? You’ll have to let go with one hand. Take your time.”

  Ava nodded, and forced herself to loosen her fingers and reach down. She grabbed the handle and shakily pushed the carrier up on to the branch. There was a forked bit of branch sticking out and she wedged the carrier in it. Now she didn’t have to hold on to it – otherwise she’d have to let go with both hands to open the door. The packet of cat treats was inside – Tiger’s favourite flavour, she noticed, the fishy ones. Ava reached in and shook the scrunchy foil bag.

  “How are you doing?” Dave called up.

  “He’s coming!” Ava cried.

  Tiger had started edging back along the branch. It was going to work! His soft fur brushed against her arm as he climbed into the carrier, sniffing at the bag. Ava shut the door so quickly she almost caught his tail and then she turned the catch.

  “He’s in!”

  “Brilliant! Pass him down to me then. Take it slow, Ava. The carrier’s going to be heavy now.”

  Ava nodded, lifting the carrier and reaching down to pass it to Dave. She heard a worried little mew as the carrier moved. “It’s OK, Tiger. We’re going home,” she whispered to him.

  “Back down now, Ava. Nice and slow.”

  Ava wasn’t sure how she ever got back down the ladder. She didn’t even remember doing it. She was just there at the bottom, with Mum hugging her and saying she’d been so scared and she should never have let Ava go up there, and Bel telling her she was the best big sister ever, and Lucy moaning because no one was listening and she’d dropped her toy cat.

  Ava crouched down in front of the basket and peered in at the little stripey face looking out at her.

  “Please don’t ever do that again,” she whispered to Tiger. “Thank you so much for rescuing him,” she told Jess’s dad.

  He grinned at her. “I didn’t, Ava! It was all you! I think you’d better take him home and make a big fuss of him.”

  Ava nodded, picking up the carrier – she didn’t even hold it by the handle, she wrapped her arms round it, like she never wanted to let Tiger go. She could feel the kitten padding about inside as she carried him down the path and round the corner to her house. She called goodbye to Jess – she couldn’t wave, she was holding on too tight to Tiger in his carrier.

  Lucy and Bel followed Ava into the house and crouched down next to her as she put the carrier down on the hall floor. Tiger peered out at them all, his ears twitching.

  “It’s all right,” Ava whispered. “You’re home now.”

  Tiger stepped slowly out of the carrier and then scrambled up on to Ava’s knees, purring at last. She had come and rescued him. He’d known she would.

  “You’re coming with me, Lily? Are you sure?” Dad grinned at her, widening his eyes and pretending to be shocked.

  “I like the sound of a walk with you and Hugo in the woods. It’ll be nice and cool under the trees. Anyway –” Lily made a face back at him – “I’d come with you more often if you didn’t go so fast. You’ve both got really long legs and I haven’t.” Lily reached down to rub the dog’s soft creamy white ears. “Yes, you do, don’t you? Great big long legs.” She looked up at Dad. “You’re not planning on one of your five-mile hikes, are you?” she asked suspiciously.

  Dad laughed. “No, not in this weather – it’s too hot for a long walk now. Anyway, I took Hugo out running with me early this morning.”

  Lily nodded. Hugo needed loads of exercise. Dad took him for at least two long walks every day and he usually went for a quick walk in the park with Mum when she stopped working to take a lunch break. At weekends Dad often took Hugo in the car to the hills just outside town for a really good run. Lily’s big sister, Carly, loved to go with them but Lily wasn’t so keen. It always seemed to rain when she went on one of Dad’s big days out.

  Hugo was mostly German Shepherd – nobody was quite sure what else. Carly had told her that German Shepherds were originally bred from dogs trained to guard flocks of sheep from wolves and bears. They were used to working hard. Dad had wanted a really energetic dog and he’d fallen in love with Hugo at the animal shelter. He was so unusual with his white coat. The shelter staff said that Hugo had got too big for his elderly owner to look after properly – and at the time he hadn’t even stopped growing.

  Mum and Dad had explained to Lily and Carly that they’d have to be really gentle with him as he was a rescue dog, and because white German Shepherds could be quite sensitive and nervous. They were no good as pets for people who were out at work all day – if they were left alone they could end up wrecking a house because they were so miserable! Luckily, Mum worked at home as a graphic designer so Hugo was never by himself for long.

  “Is Carly coming?” Dad asked. “Shout up the stairs for her, Lily.”

  “No, Mum’s taking her round to Maisie’s house in a minute. Maisie’s got one of those giant paddling pools in her garden.” Lily sighed enviously. It was the first week of the summer holidays and the weather was already so hot.

  Even though it w
as sweltering, Hugo was still keen for his walk. He was standing by the front door staring at them both, his gleaming blue eyes hopeful. One of the boys in Carly’s class had told her that Hugo was a spooky wolf dog because of his white coat and blue eyes, and Carly had got into trouble for chasing the boy round the playground. She adored Hugo even more than Dad did and Hugo loved her to bits.

  Dad clipped on Hugo’s lead and opened the front door. Hugo pulled Dad eagerly down the path, keen to be off, and Lily quickly slipped on her trainers and hurried after them. “Bye, Mum! See you later, Carly!”

  As they turned out of the gate, Hugo suddenly stiffened, his ears pricking forward and his tail flicking from side to side.

  Dad peered over the fence, where Hugo was looking. “What are you so excited about? Oh! No, Hugo, no chasing cats.”

  “Is it Pixie?” Lily ran down the path to look. “Hello, sweetheart!” Pixie was a gorgeous silvery tabby cat who belonged to their next-door neighbour, Anna. Lily loved to play with Pixie – so much that Carly was always teasing her about it. Everyone else in the family preferred dogs but Lily’s room was full of cat posters and cat books… Even her pyjamas had kittens on them.

  Luckily for Lily, Pixie was always popping into their garden. Sometimes she even walked along the garden wall, and then hopped on to the garage roof and in through Lily’s bedroom window. Lily loved to pretend that Pixie was hers but Mum always shooed the cat out whenever she saw her. She said it wasn’t fair on Hugo, letting a cat into his house.

  Now the tabby cat was perched on the fence, looking down disapprovingly at Hugo, her tail swishing. Hugo had never chased Pixie but Lily thought he secretly wanted to. He didn’t like her walking across his garden. He always stared at her out of the long windows in the living room, his nose pressed up against the glass. If Pixie hung around for too long, Hugo would let out a series of mighty barks.