The Killer Cat Strikes Back

9: ‘Run, Daddy! Run!’

OF COURSE, THE POOR sap hadn’t got a clue. I watched them turn the house upside down, up-ending sofas, peering under rugs, sticking their noses into old envelopes.

By the time the clock ticked round to a quarter to six, they were quite desperate.

‘It must be somewhere !’

‘Where did you put it? Try to remember!’

He clutched his hair and wailed, ‘I don’t know! All I can recall is coming back into this room with the raffle ticket in my hand.’

I tried to give them a hint. I kept on strolling up and down along the shelf, and giving little purrs. But they had no time to pay attention to me.

So, in the end, with only five minutes to go before the deadline, I had to do what he’d been trying to get me to do for several weeks.

I didn’t choose to do it, you understand. It was an Unselfish Act, purely for the Good of the Community. Left to myself, I would have happily broken my own front left leg rather than please him by damaging that last ugly pot.

But needs must when the devil drives. I stuck out my paw and pushed the thing firmly off the end of the shelf.

I won’t say it smashed. Fat chance. This pot was such an ill-made lump, it simply fell apart in mid-air.

Out tumbled, first, one fresh prawn, then one small raffle ticket.

The bits of pot hit the carpet. Blop! Blop! Blop!

‘What on earth is that prawn doing there?’ said Ellie’s mother.

He didn’t take the time to blush. He simply snatched up the raffle ticket and made for the door.

‘Run, Daddy! Run!’ cried Ellie.