Chloe the Kitten

 

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CHAPTER ONE

Good Morning, Misty Wood

It was early morning in Misty Wood. The moon had long since snuggled into his starry bed, and the sun was just beginning to stretch into the sky.

In a cozy cot made of moss and grass, in a tiny home tucked under the roots of an old chestnut tree, a kitten named Chloe was waking up. She yawned and rubbed the end of her button nose with a velvety paw. Then she opened her eyes and looked at her dandelion clock.

“Oh no! I'm late!” she cried, leaping from her bed. But she stopped short when she caught sight of herself in the small pool of water she used as a mirror.

“Puppy tails and poppy seeds!” she meowed. “I can't go out like this!”

Chloe's whiskers were flat because she had slept on them. Quickly, she licked her paws and stroked her whiskers until they were shiny and smooth. Then she twisted her head and looked down to check her glittery fairy wings.

You see, Chloe was no ordinary kitten. She was a Cobweb Kitten, one of the many fairy animals who lived in Misty Wood. Every fairy animal in Misty Wood had a special job to do to make sure it stayed such a beautiful place.

The Bud Bunnies used their twitchy noses to ease flowers into bloom.

The Hedgerow Hedgehogs used their spikes to pick up leaves and keep the ground tidy.

The Holly Hamsters nibbled the holly leaves into shape for Christmas.

And the Cobweb Kittens decorated the cobwebs in the trees with glistening dewdrops so that they sparkled and shone.

Chloe patted her wings into place and smiled down at her reflection.

“Perfect,” she purred. “Now I'm ready for work.” She picked up her special dewdrop-collecting basket, which had been woven from flower stems.

“No time for breakfast today,” she said, looking longingly at the acorn cup of milk on her conker table.

The magical spring where the Cobweb Kittens got their dewdrops came to life only while the sun was rising. She had to get there quickly or she would miss it.

Chloe padded over to the door and flung it open. Outside, it was as if Misty Wood was just stirring itself from sleep. A breeze whispered through the trees, making all the branches sway.

Chloe could hear the first chirps of the birds as they got ready to sing. She opened her wings. They shimmered purple and pink in the first morning light.

“Good morning, Misty Wood!” she said, fluttering up into the air.

Chloe swooped through the trees and out into Bluebell Glade. Down below her she could hear the tinkle of hundreds of flowery bells as they bobbed in the breeze. She breathed in the bluebells' sweet scent and continued on her way. As she left the glade, she came to Heather Hill.

It matches my wings
, Chloe thought with a smile as she looked down at the carpet of purple heather.

Next, she did a loop-the-loop over Golden Meadow, hoping to catch sight of the playful Pollen Puppies flicking the golden flower pollen with their tails. But the cheeky pups were asleep, curled up on their cushions of moss.

Chloe floated on, enjoying the sleepy silence. The meadow below her looked like a rainbow painted across the land. There were flowers of every color.

Then she came to Moonshine Pond. The Moonbeam Moles had been working hard all night, flying through the sky and dropping moonbeams into the pond to make it look pretty. Now the water had a beautiful pearly glow. It reminded Chloe of the cup of milk in her kitchen, and she suddenly felt very thirsty. She looked at the brightening sky. The sun wasn't quite up yet. As long as she was quick, she should have enough time for a drink.

Chloe flew down and landed on the soft bank of the pond. Putting her basket next to her, she leaned forward to lap the sweet water with her tiny pink tongue. She was careful to be quiet. She didn't want to wake the little moles, who had just gone to bed.

Mmm
,
Chloe thought.
That's better!
The water was delicious. The moonbeams made it taste as sweet as honey. Chloe licked her lips, unfurled her wings, and fluttered off again.

At last she came to a beautiful valley. In the middle of the valley lay a shimmering lake. Silvery mist drifted across the surface of the water. Suddenly, as the first rays of sunlight peeped over the treetops and touched the lake, a jet of water rose high into the air, like a fountain. Fat, glistening dewdrops fell like sparkles from a fairy's wand.

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She had arrived at Dewdrop Spring just in time.

The air was filled with excited meowing and purring. There were Cobweb Kittens everywhere! Fluttering their wings as fast as they could, they headed toward the spring, scooping up dewdrops in their special collecting baskets. Every kitten needed to work very hard if all the cobwebs in Misty Wood were to be covered in dewdrops.

“Hello, Chloe,” a little tabby kitten called as he flew past.

“Hurry up! You're late!” a white kitten cried, her fairy wings glistening silver and gold.

“Here I come!” Chloe called happily to her friends. “Save some for me!” With a flick of her wings, she dived toward the fountain, ready to collect the dewdrops with her basket. But as she held out her paws, she noticed something terrible.