Chloe here . . . there's a story I'd love to share with you . . . but, before I do, may I ask you a favour?Please, don't tell my Mum . . . you won't will you?
It's just that she mightn't understand . . . and I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings.
I love my Mum
But, as I'll explain, if she hadn't caught a cold . . . well, it wouldn't have happened . . . and look what I'd have missed!
It was last week when my Mum started sneezing. She really did it properly. Sneezing all day . . . and disturbing my sleep by sneezing at night. Believe you me, it wasn't funny.
True, I did my best to look after her . . . lot of sympathetic kisses and bringing my favourite mouse to cheer her up . . . but it meant that she couldn't do the really important things, like taking me out for my walks. I was trapped inside . . . things were getting serious.
Mind you, my Mum did come up with one idea. She put on my harness and lead, took me down to the hall, opened the front door, and let me walk out onto the pavement. She then closed the door behind me so that she could stay sneezing in the hall.
It's a long lead, so I had a good view of all that was happening up and down our road . . . the cars, the people, and those pompous pigeons . . . but it was nothing like as satisfying as a proper walk.
But then my Mum came up with an even better idea.
We have a good friend called Emily. Emily uses a big hoover and pushes Mum's letters through our letter-box. I like Emily.
She has an important seat near to the front door and, when we went down to the hall the next morning, my Mum asked her if she had a moment to spare, and whether she'd be very kind and take me for a walk.
You can imagine how I pricked up my ears!
It was a purrfect idea!
I don't want to criticise my Mum, but she can be . . . how shall I put it . . . a little inflexible when I come up with the mildest of suggestions about our walks.Emily, on the other hand, is a lovely, trusting person . . . just the sort of person who, when asked to take a cat for a walk, will accept the guidance of the cat . . . I couldn't wait to get started!
Kind Emily fully believed me when I told her that my Mum always lets me do exactly what I like in the garden . . . well, it was only a whisker away from the truth.
Emily also fully believed me when I told her that my Mum encourages me to climb to the very top branches of my favourite tree . . . well, there was no point in mentioning that sometimes my paws slide and I get stuck, and that my Mum has to climb up and rescue me . . . and that, for some reason, my Mum doesn't like climbing down trees backwards, carrying a wriggling cat . . . I was sure that Emily wouldn't want to be bothered with such trivialities.
I had a wonderful walk . . . I think Emily enjoyed it, too . . . and I definitely didn't want to go back indoors.
In fact, I'm afraid my Mum was a little disappointed that I didn't go rushing in to join her when we finally made it back to the front door.
Perhaps it wasn't very tactful of me to linger wistfully in the doorway . . . particularly as she did have such a nasty cold.
Whatever you do, don't tell my Mum I said this, but, in a funny way, I was almost sorry when she told me the next morning that her cold was getting better. I'd been secretly hoping for another exciting walk with Emily . . . perhaps a sight-seeing visit to the school next door. I'd stuck my head through the railings last week, just to show my Mum where I wanted to go, but she's awfully slow at picking up hints . . . Emily, I'm certain, could easily have been encouraged to explore.
Ah well . . . life is now back to normal . . . and I have to admit that, even without Emily, life in the garden is far from dull.
There's nothing to stop me keeping a keen eye on those pesky squirrels . . . and I'm truly glad that my poor Mum has stopped sneezing.
I do love my Mum!
