Cuddle the Cutest Kitten: Magical Friends Read online

  Cuddle’s Fan Pages

  Here’s what other children have to say about their favourite kitten and her first adventure!

  “I loved the part where the kitten kept disappearing. This was a fun story and made me laugh.” Abby, age 6

  “I think Cuddle is very helpful. It’s nice that the girls made friends with each other. I liked Cleo the cat – she is cheeky. It is a bit funny to have a big party for a cat, but nice.” Lucina, age 5

  “I loved it and I love Cuddle. My favourite bit was the kitten makeover. I liked learning about pyramids. I wish I had a toy Cuddle.” Caitlin, age 7

  “I really liked Olivia and Grace and loved it when they got lost in the pyramid. I would love a kitten like Cuddle.” Piper, age 7

  “I like Cuddle, as her friends Olivia and Grace are seven like me. I like it best when Cuddle is cheeky and does her magic. My favourite part of the book is when they describe the magical pyramid; also the bits when they find the Pharaoh’s missing kitten.” Daisy, age 7

  by Hayley Daze

  Illustrated by Ann Kronheimer

  Cover illustrated by Amanda Gulliver

  Contents

  Chapter One

  The Magic of Friendship

  Chapter Two

  The Jingle-Jangle Bell

  Chapter Three

  Sandy Surprise

  Chapter Four

  Cuddle Leads the Way

  Chapter Five

  The Twisty-Turny Maze

  Chapter Six

  All in the Dark

  Chapter Seven

  Cat Chase

  Chapter Eight

  Join the Parade

  Other books about

  Cuddle the Cutest Kitten:

  Superstar Dreams

  Princess Party Sleepover

  School of Spells

  To Mum and Dad

  Cuddle the kitten has black-and-white fur,

  A cute crooked tail, and a very loud purr.

  Her two best friends, Olivia and Grace,

  Know Cuddle’s world is a special place!

  Just give her a cuddle, then everything spins;

  A twitch of her whiskers, and magic begins!

  So if you see a sunbeam, and hear Cuddle’s bell,

  You can join in the adventures as well!

  Chapter One

  The Magic of Friendship

  As if by magic, a grinning face framed by springy brown curls popped up above Grace’s garden fence. Then, in a flash, it was gone. Grace rubbed her eyes. Maybe she was so lonely she was making up imaginary friends.

  The curly head appeared again, bobbing along the fence. Two hands gripped the top of the wooden slats and then the smiling face looked over.

  “I’m Olivia,” the curly-haired girl said. “My mum says you’re our new neighbour.”

  “Hi,” Grace replied. “I’m Grace.” Her smile was as bright as her shiny blonde hair.

  Olivia stood on tiptoes and peered further over the fence. Grace’s garden had a sandpit, a bench, and a vegetable patch filled with juicy tomatoes and stringy beans. But Olivia was staring at a triangular pile of boxes in the middle of the lawn.

  “Nice pyramid,” she said.

  “Oh – thanks,” Grace replied. “Those are the removal boxes Mum and Dad have unpacked.”

  She grabbed a box and placed it on the top of the pyramid. “I used to live on a farm. It’s funny seeing so many tall buildings around here, so I thought I’d make one myself!”

  The sky above them darkened as grey clouds glided across the sun.

  “Is it always cloudy in Catterton?” Grace asked.

  Olivia nodded. “Pretty much. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. We can play dressing up indoors or chase rainbows in the garden. The best thing about living here is there’s always someone to play with.” She smiled. “You just have to know where to look.”

  Olivia dropped down behind the fence, out of sight. Grace jumped as high as her trainers would take her, but it looked like Olivia’s back garden was empty. She had vanished.

  “Close your eyes,” Olivia called.

  Grace squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

  “Ta-dah!” Olivia said. Grace’s eyes snapped open. Olivia was standing right in front of her.

  “How did you do that?” Grace asked. “It’s like magic!”

  Olivia’s curls bounced as she shook her head. “It’s not magic,” she said, taking Grace’s hand. “But it can be our secret!”

  Olivia showed her a section of the fence that was partly hidden by a rose bush. One of the wooden panels was hanging loose at the bottom. Olivia pulled it so it swung upwards, making a gap just big enough to squeeze through.

  “It’s like a giant cat flap,” Grace said as she peeked into Olivia’s garden.

  Olivia laughed. “You’re right! Miss Nancy, the old lady who used to live in your house, had seven cats. We made the flap in the fence so I could come and play with them.”

  Grace’s mouth fell open.

  “Seven cats?”

  “I wish I could have just one,” Olivia sighed, “but my dad’s allergic to them. He used to start sneezing if he even looked at one of Miss Nancy’s cats.”

  “I can’t have one either,” Grace said. “I’ve got a new baby brother. Mum says I have to wait until he’s older.”

  Olivia sat down on the bench, her shoulders slumped. The garden felt empty without Miss Nancy’s cats.

  “What should we do now?” she asked her new friend.

  “I know! Let’s see how far we can climb up that tree.” Grace pointed to the apple tree at the foot of the garden.

  Olivia straightened her spotless denim skirt. “I’m not really dressed for climbing,” she said. “But we could play movie star makeover. I’m going to be an actress one day, so I’ve got everything we need.”

  She opened the sequinned bag that was always slung across her shoulder and took out a hairbrush and some sparkly hair grips.

  A sudden burst of brightness made both girls shield their eyes. The grey clouds drifted apart and a sunbeam shone down on to Grace’s garden. It showered the cardboard pyramid with sparkling golden light.

  Jingle jangle jingle.

  “Did you hear that?” Grace asked. “It sounded like a bell.”

  “Look!” Olivia shouted and pointed to Grace’s cardboard tower. Sitting at the top of the pyramid, her eyes narrowed in the sunlight, was the cutest kitten either of the girls had ever seen.

  Chapter Two

  The Jingle-Jangle Bell

  The kitten’s fur was white, with one black ear and what looked like black socks on her two front paws. Her tail had a black tip and a curly kink – like a fuzzy pipe-cleaner.

  Her pink tongue flicked in and out as she washed her paw.

  She turned her green eyes towards the girls and gave a loud “Miaow!”.

  Then the tiny cat bounded down the pile of boxes and on to the grass. She was small enough to fit inside Olivia’s bag. The girls knelt beside her, and the kitten stretched her head towards them.

  “She wants to say hello,” Grace said. She leant down so she could bump heads with the kitten.

  Olivia did the same and the kitten rubbed against her cheek.

  “Your whiskers tickle,” she said.

  Grace gave the kitten a stroke, from the tip of her pink nose to the curly kink in her tail. The kitten flopped on to her back, showing her fluffy white tummy.

  There was a jingle jangle as she rolled about, and the girls saw a tiny silver bell under her chin. It was attached to a sparkly pink collar.

  “Miss Nancy’s cats had name tags with her ph
one number on,” Olivia remembered. “Let’s see who you belong to.” She felt all around the kitten’s collar, but there was nothing on it except the bell.

  Grace tickled the kitten’s tummy. The little cat gave her fingers a lick, then stretched her paws up in the air.

  “Look, she wants a cuddle,” Grace said.

  Olivia rubbed the velvety tip of the kitten’s nose.

  “Cuddle,” she said thoughtfully. “You know, she likes being stroked and tickled. Cuddle is the perfect name for her.”

  The kitten gave a “Miaow!” as if she agreed.

  Grace laughed. “Cuddle it is.”

  With a flick of her tail, Cuddle rolled on to her tummy. She crouched low to the ground, looking up at the girls.

  “What is it, Cuddle?” Olivia asked. “Do you want to play?”

  Cuddle bounded back over to the cardboard pyramid. She scampered round it, her bell jingling, then hopped on to one of the boxes. The pyramid wobbled as she jumped from box to box, right to the top.

  “Oh no,” said Grace. “It’s going to collapse!”

  Just as the pyramid tumbled to the ground, Cuddle sprang through the air and landed safely in Olivia’s arms.

  “You crazy kitten,” Olivia said, cradling her. Grace stroked Cuddle’s silky ears.

  Purrrrrrrrrr, went Cuddle.

  Olivia wriggled. She felt ticklish all over. “Do you feel … tingly?” she asked Grace.

  Grace nodded.

  The girls started to giggle. Cuddle purred even louder and the tickling sensation grew stronger and stronger. The garden became a blur of greens and browns. The girls were laughing so much that both of them closed their eyes, and the world disappeared around them …

  Chapter Three

  Sandy Surprise

  Grace wondered if she was in bed. Maybe she was dreaming about a new friend and a cute kitten. She was lying down, covered in something warm. It didn’t feel like her soft duvet, though – it was grainy, and she could move her fingers through it. She opened her eyes and gasped. “Sand!”

  The mound of sand next to her stirred and Olivia sat up, shaking the grains from her curls.

  “This is one of your magic tricks, isn’t it – like the thing you did with the fence?” Grace asked, feeling silly. “You’ve made us appear in the sandpit.”

  But Olivia’s eyes were wide with astonishment. “Grace,” she said slowly, “we’re not in your garden any more.”

  Instead of wooden fences and big brick buildings, Olivia and Grace were surrounded by sand – lots and lots of sand – dotted with palm trees. The sky was deep blue and the air shimmered with heat. Cuddle was a few paces away, shaking sand from her black-and-white fur. She miaowed in greeting as the girls ran over to her.

  “Was it you, Cuddle? Did you bring us here?” Grace asked. She remembered the tickling sensation and the kitten’s loud purr before she’d closed her eyes.

  Cuddle rubbed against Grace’s leg. She flicked her crooked tail and leapt into Grace’s arms. Her eyes narrowed as if she knew a secret.

  “It’s like she’s saying yes,” Olivia said, scratching Cuddle under her furry chin.

  “A magic kitten,” Grace exclaimed. “That’s amazing!”

  Olivia pointed into the distance. “And so is that.”

  Grace turned to look. Towering in front of them was a gigantic pyramid. Its smooth sides were made from white stone that gleamed in the sunlight. Crouched beside it was an enormous statue with a human head and a lion’s body, its front paws stretched out.

  Grace couldn’t believe her eyes. “A real pyramid,” she said. “And what kind of creature is that statue?”

  “A sphinx,” Olivia said. “I saw it in a film once – Magic on the Nile.”

  “Wow! We’re in Egypt.” Grace gave Cuddle an excited squeeze. “Let’s go and look at the old pyramid. Maybe we’ll find some mummies!”

  “Grace,” Olivia said, her eyes bright, “does that pyramid look old to you?”

  Grace tilted her head and stared at its polished white surface. The profile of the sphinx next to it was crisp and without a single chip. She gasped. “It’s brand new. But that means …”

  “… we’re in ancient Egypt!” Olivia finished.

  Cuddle jumped from Grace’s arms. Her crooked tail bounced and her bell jingled as she scrambled up a sand dune and skidded down the other side.

  “Cuddle, come back!” Grace called.

  The girls raced after her. The kitten was scampering towards a group of purple-and-blue tents under a clump of palm trees. A young girl about their age emerged from one of the tents. She was wearing a white linen dress with a wide gold necklace. Her hair was long and black and on her wrist was a bracelet shaped like a snake.

  She gave a cry as Cuddle jumped into her arms.

  “Is this your kitten?” she asked the girls with a smile. “She’s beautiful.”

  “Her name’s Cuddle,” Olivia said. “I’m Olivia, and this is Grace.”

  The girl handed Cuddle to Grace.

  “I am Beset,” she said. She looked at Olivia’s denim skirt and Grace’s combat trousers. “Do you come from a land far away?”

  Grace and Olivia glanced at each other. “That’s one way of putting it,” Grace replied.

  “Welcome, Grace and Olivia,” Beset said. “You must be here for the celebration.” A frown spread over her face. “But I am afraid it may already be ruined.”

  “Oh no!” Olivia exclaimed.

  “The guest of honour … she is missing,” Beset explained.

  “That’s terrible. Maybe we can help you find her.” Grace scanned the landscape. “She should be easy to spot in all this sand.”

  “What does she look like?” Olivia asked.

  “She is as black as night and has a fine silky coat,” Beset said.

  Olivia pictured a beautiful woman in the expensive sort of coat she’d seen movie stars wear. “It seems too hot for a coat,” she said.

  “Cleo is like your kitten – she does not mind the heat,” Beset said, giving Cuddle a scratch behind the ears. The little kitten wriggled happily in Grace’s arms.

  “The guest of honour is a cat?” Grace said in surprise. Beset nodded.

  “Cleo is the Pharaoh’s kitten. He is hosting a banquet in her honour.”

  “Who is the Pharaoh?” Olivia asked.

  “The Pharaoh is the king of all of Egypt,” Beset replied. She looked even more worried. “If I do not find Cleo soon, the Pharaoh will be sad, and I will be in big trouble.”

  Chapter Four

  Cuddle Leads the Way

  “Don’t worry, Beset,” Grace said. “We’ll help you find Cleo.”

  “Thank you!” Beset said.

  “Why are you having a party for a cat?” Olivia asked, trying not to giggle.

  “Cats are very important to us,” Beset said. “We even have a special goddess to protect them.”

  Cuddle hopped down on to the sand. “Miaow!” The kitten rubbed against Beset’s sandals, then darted off towards the pyramid.

  “Cuddle!” Grace called. “Come here!” The kitten stopped and looked back, but then she mewed at the girls and ran off again. The pink pads on her paws flashed as she bounded across the sand.

  “I think she wants us to follow her,” Olivia said.

  They ran after the little kitten, who by now was almost at the pyramid.

  Palm trees were planted at each of the pyramid’s four corners, their green leaves dancing in the sunshine. Cuddle’s bell jingled as she skidded to the far side of the pyramid. The girls followed – but the kitten had disappeared.

  “Oh my,” Beset said. “Now we will have to find two missing kittens.”

  Grace crouched down in the sand. “Look at this.” Olivia and Beset peered over her shoulder at two sets of tiny paw prints.

  “They must belong to Cuddle and Cleo. We can follow them to see where they’ve got to.”

  The paw prints wound through the sand and stopped at a white stone in
the base of the pyramid. Pictures were engraved in the stone.

  “I like that one,” Grace said, pointing to a bird with long legs.

  “They’re a special kind of picture,” Beset explained. “They tell a story. We call them hieroglyphs.”

  Suddenly, Olivia gave a shout of surprise. “Hey, look at this hieroglyph.”

  It was a cat with a curly kink in its tail.

  “It looks just like Cuddle,” Grace said.

  Beset ran her fingers over the cat hieroglyph. The stone wobbled slightly. “Did you see that?” she said. “Maybe this is a secret way into the pyramid.”

  The three girls placed their hands on the cat hieroglyph and pushed.

  With a rumble, the stone slid inside the pyramid.

  Grace gasped. “It’s a secret passageway!”

  Chapter Five

  The Twisty-Turny Maze

  Grace crawled through the dusty passageway on her hands and knees. At the end was a dark hole in the floor.

  She peered down – it was a narrow shaft. Her heart thumped as she swung her legs over the edge of the hole and let herself fall. She landed in a long, wide corridor with flaming torches flickering on the walls. The air was hot and sticky.

  Beset climbed after her, followed by Olivia.

  “Yuck,” Olivia muttered, pausing to brush the thick dust from her skirt.

  Beset walked ahead, her snake bracelet glinting in the torchlight. “There are many, many corridors,” she said. “Cuddle and Cleo could be anywhere.” She shook her head. “We will never find them in time. The Pharaoh will be very unhappy if Cleo does not come to her own celebration.”