The magic kitten

ONE day, I was walking around the neighbourhood when I heard a sad cry from a nearby hedge: Meooww, meooww!

I walked cautiously towards the hedge and saw a little kitten. She looked upset but when she saw me, she started talking.

“Hi, my name is Posy. What’s yours? How brave you are to find me here. Can you take me home? I am a magic kitten, you know.”

I stared in amazement at the little kitten.

“You can hear me, right? I hear a lot of noises out there. I am sure it will be exciting out there. Why are you not talking to me?”

I found my tongue at last and said, “Of course, I can take you home with me, Posy. I was just heading to the pet centre to adopt a pet because I got As in my exams. I would love to take care of you.”

I walked to the pet shop with Posy to buy a collar, a bowl engraved with her name, and a sack of cat food. Posy purred loudly when I put on the collar.

Posy asked me: “Why can’t peo- ple hear me talk, except for you? What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you, ‘ you’!” “My name is Molly,” I said. Posy meowed pleasantly. “That’s a nice name. Molly, Molly, Molly. Okay, I’ll remember,” said Posy.

Little did Posy know she will soon learn magic with me, I thought. Both of us walked home happily.

“Molly, that’s a lovely kitten! Where did you buy it?” my mother asked.

It was a little awkward to explain there and then, so I stammered, “Um... well, I found her in the hedge on the way to the pet centre, Mum.”

‘ Oh, dear! We’ve got to call the centre now just in case there was a report of a lost cat in the district!” Mum said. What Mum had said was right, so she called the centre.

“Hello? This is Cherry Hill Cottage? Is there a report of a lost cat, Sir?’ Mum asked.

“No, Ma’am. What makes you ask that, Ma’am?” said the person on the other end of the line.

“My daughter found a cat,” Mum said.

“Oh, I see. Well, don’t worry, there haven’t been any reports, but we will put up a notice just in case,” said the worker at the centre.

I felt relieved and happy. Posy was the only one who was worried.

She said, “Actually, I ran away into the forest and got lost, so I decided to go into the countryside. That’s how I got here. I belonged to a horrible witch, you know,” she said worriedly.

I comforted her knowing everything would be all right. After a week, the centre reported that nobody came looking for a cat. Posy heaved a sigh of relief.

All week, Posy and I practised magic together. I recited a spell from Posy’s magic book.

“Oooo, woola, rimminy, ruu, oo, woola, rimminy ruu. Oo, woola,” I said.

Posy said: “You’re going to make me turn even more sparkly!”

“Well done, Posy! You did it!” I said, smiling at my sparkling little cat.

I then decided to do something mischievous. I took the wand and pointed it at Posy and said: “I wish for a Maggle- Mig creature to chase you!”

Posy stopped grinning and ran away from the peculiar creature which looked like a giraffe with shoes on its feet.

In return, Posy pointed her wand at me and said: “I wish for a Snickeroo creature to chase Molly!”

It was my turn to leap up and run away from the strange creature. I then said: “I wish for both Snickeroo and Maggle- Mig creatures to go away!” And they disappeared. “Well, we were like kids just now,” I said.

Posy replied, “You’re right. Let’s do only good things with our magic wands from now on, Molly.”

I nodded happily. Lauren Fong Lee Anne wins the Creative Writing prize for July. She walks away with a FaberCastell hamper worth RM150 which includes Wonderbox watercolour pencils, oil pastels, and art & craft sets, courtesy of Faber- Castell. IF you love to write, send your articles to Starchild. The topic can be anything you fancy. Please include your full name, age ( open to children aged 12 and below), gender, address and phone number. E- mail your letters to star2@ thestar. com. my.

We have a Faber- Castell hamper worth RM150 for the writer who sends in the best Creative Writing contribution for August. Prizes are sponsored by FaberCastell.