Kitten-Cat was playing all by himself in the garden. He didn’t want to play all by himself. He wanted Little-Girl to play with him. But Little-Girl was in the kitchen.

Little-Girl was cooking. So Kitten-Cat decided to help Little-Girl with the cooking. Kitten-Cat walked into the kitchen and jumped up onto the counter.

‘Oh dear, Kitten-Cat!’ said Little-Girl. ‘Hadn’t you perhaps play in the garden?’
‘No, Little-Girl,’ miaowed Kitten-Cat. ‘I want to help with the cooking.’
Little-Girl did not understand. She put Kitten-Cat out into the garden and shut the kitchen door.

But Kitten-Cat wanted to help Little-Girl with the cooking! He didn’t want to play by himself! So Kitten-Cat jumped on to the windowsill, and into the kitchen.

SPLASH! landed Kitten-Cat into the kitchen sink which was full of water.
CRASH! went the dishes soaking in the kitchen sink.
‘MIAOW!’ Went Kitten-Cat in fright!

‘Oh dear, Kitten-Cat!’ said Little-Girl, ‘What a mess!’
Little-Girl picked up Kitten-Cat and wrapped him in a towel to get nice and dry again. She put him in his basket by the kitchen door.

But Kitten-Cat still wanted to help with the cooking. He jumped up onto the kitchen stool. Now he could see what Little-Girl was doing.

Little-Girl was baking a cake for her mother. She mixed some flour in a bowl.

Kitten-Cat looked at the flour. It looked soft and white. Kitten-Cat put out a paw.
Kitten-Cat patted the bowl of flour. Kitten-Cat sniffed the flour.

SNEEZE! went Kitten-Cat.
BLOW! went the flour!
CRASH! went the bowl and Kitten-Cat onto the floor!

Poor littke Kitten-Cat!
HE got flour all OVER himself. And he couldn’t stop sneezing!

‘OH NO! KITTEN-CAT!’ said Little-Girl. ‘Now look what you’ve done!’
Little-Girl cleaned up the mess and she cleaned up Kitten-Cat.
‘Now stay in your basket!’ she said sternly.

Little-Girl fetched some eggs from the fridge. She put the eggs on the kitchen table.

Kitten-Cat jumped on to the kitchen table. He patted an egg with his paw. The egg was cold and smooth. The egg ROLLED. Kitten-Cat loved things that rolled. He patted the egg again. He patted all the eggs. The eggs rolled right OFF the table! And…SMASH! went the eggs on the kitchen floor.

‘KITTEN-CAT!’ yelled Little-Girl.

Jump! went Kitten-Cat – onto the kitchen floor, out through the kitchen door, into the garden, under a flowerpot!

Poor little Kitten-Cat.
He had only wanted to help, and now Little-Girl was cross!

Little-Girl cleaned up the eggs from the floor. She was sorry now she had yelled at Kitten-Cat. She wanted him back in the kitchen.

So she poured some milk into Kitten-Cat’s favourite bowl and set it down by the kitchen door and called out, ‘Kitten-Cat come back! I won’t be cross anymore!’

Kitten-Cat peeped out from under the flowerpot and saw his bowl of milk. Kitten-Cat was thirsty! He sat by the kitchen door and lapped up all his milk. The little bell around his neck tinkled happily. Then Kitten-Cat climbed into the armchair and settled down to watch Little-Girl.

Little-Girl mixed and beat and poured, and soon the cake was ready to go into the oven. ‘All right Kitten-Cat!’ she called. ‘Let’s play!’ But Kitten-Cat was fast asleep, curled up snugly in the armchair.

Little-Girl smiled. Naughty little Kitten-Cat! She did so love him!

Illustrations copyright © Philomena Saldanha 2007
Text copyright © Rohini Chowdhury 2007