It was a cold and snowy evening in January and Jennyanydots was hurrying through the blizzard towards the Junkyard. She couldn't remember the last time it had snowed this much and she didn't like it one bit. She shivered and shook some of the snow out of her fur. Jenny couldn't wait to get dry and warm again and she didn't really see why she had to go out anyway. She sighed and wished she hadn't promised to watch the kittens that evening so that Jellylorum could have some time off. Under any normal circumstances she would have loved the idea of playing with the kittens and then telling them a bedtime story but not tonight. She thought longingly of a warm supper and an early night.
The houses and gardens were covered in a layer of snow and every now and again a gust of wind blew it into the air so it swirled in clouds above the ground. Where the snow had melted on the road and pavement it had left unpleasant slushy, cold puddles which were covered in more snow as it fell so you stepped on a seemingly nice patch of snow only to find your feet soaked through with slush. The falling snow made it hard to see very far ahead as it was blown into your eyes by the wind. It was bitterly cold.
Jennyanydots took a shortcut through a narrow street and over a high fence and down an alley. She was careful to avoid patches of ice that might make her slip and fall. She had no intention of breaking any bones.
As she reached the corner back onto the main road she saw something huddled in a doorway that made her stop despite the weather. Through the snow she could just make out the shape of two kittens. "What could two kittens be doing outside in this weather? Don't they have anyone to look after them?", Jennyanydots thought angrily. The idea of them not being looked after upset her. Nobody should have to be out in this sort of weather, especially not kittens!
Moving closer Jennyanydots could see that they were both thin and their fur was matted and tangled and they were shivering and snuggling close together. One was a very young white queen only a little older that the kittens she looked after Jennyanydots thought. The other was an older tom. He was black with a white chest and he was curled protectively around the younger kitten. They hadn't seen her through the snow but as she came closer the tom looked up startled. He jumped to his feet to stand between her and the younger kitten, hissing at her.
"It's ok I won't hurt you," Jennyanydots said soothingly and stepped closer. The young tom eyed her suspiciously.
"Who are you?", he demanded.
"My name is Jennyanydots," she answered,"Is there anything I can do to help you? Why are you out here all alone?"
"We were abandoned," said a small voice. The little queen was peering round her protector at Jennyanydots,"We don't have a home any more. It was alright in summer but now..." She sighed and looked up at the sky.
"Where was your home?", Jennyanydots asked but the kitten only shrugged. Jennyanydots felt sorry for them. They were cold and alone and she wished she could help them. Then she had a thought. "Do you want to come and live with us? There's a whole tribe of us and I think they would accept you and my human family were talking about getting a new kitten from a shelter so I could take you home and see if they would keep you." She was getting quite excited about the idea. It would be lovely to have more kittens living in her house.
The smaller kitten looked up at the older one. "Please,"she whispered,"She's so nice and we'd have a home again and plenty to eat." He didn't look at all sure but Jennyanydots smiled encouragingly at him and the white queen looked up at him with big, sad eyes.
"Alright then," he said looking down at her,"We'll go and see if they will give us a new home."
Jennyanydots lead the way along the alley, the kittens trailing slowly after her. "What are your names?", she asked them as they walked.
"I'm Victoria," answered the younger kitten,"and this is my brother Mistoffelees. It's ok he's nice really. He's just doesn't want anything to happen to me."
As the three cats hurried along Jennyanydots quizzed the chatty Victoria about her and her brother. It seemed that their family had abandoned them because they didn't want kittens and Mistoffelees had been looking after his sister since then. That was several months ago now and Victoria really wanted a family to play with and a nice safe home to live in. Mistoffelees didn't speak to them but walked beside Victoria and kept glancing at Jennyanydots, watching for signs of danger.
When they arrived at the Junkyard Jennyanydots lead the two strange kittens straight to Old Deuteronomy's den. The others looked out at them from their dens and whispered to each other and pointed at the kittens with Jennyanydots. Mistoffelees turned this way and that trying to keep everyone in sight and seemed to wish he had never agreed to come but Victoria didn't look bothered at all. The other Jellicles followed them at a safe distance.
Old Deuteronomy stood up when he saw them coming and let them in. The other cats followed, so soon it was very crowded and Old Deuteronomy had to tell everyone to be quiet so he could hear what Jennyanydots was trying to say.
Victoria cowered behind Mistoffelees and tried not to catch anybody eye but he looked around at all the strange cats. There were some kittens about his age he noticed, some that were younger than him and some that were even younger than Victoria. They all seemed friendly and interested in the strangers but some of the adults were glaring suspiciously.
"I found them in an alley," Jennyanydots was saying,"They had been abandoned and they have no family and nowhere to go. I thought we could sort of take them in and look after them." She looked hopefully at Old Deuteronomy.
"Does anybody have a problem with that?", Old Deuteronomy asked the assembled cats.
A pregnant queen stepped forwards. "We don't know anything about them. They could be dangerous."
Rolling his eyes Admetus got up. "Demeter, look at them do they look scary or dangerous. They're just two half-starved kittens."
Demeter sat down again grumbling to herself and shrugged. "I was just saying..."she muttered.
"I don't see a problem," said Jellylorum,"They look harmless enough to me."
"We'll vote," decided Old Deuteronomy. At that moment a calico tom about the same age as Mistoffelees pounced forwards towards the kittens. Victoria jumped and gave a squeak of fright and dived behind Mistoffelees. Before anyone could grab the Mungojerrie or comfort the frightened Victoria there was a deafening bang and a blinding flash of light from the little black tom's paw and Mungojerrie was flung backwards across the den.
"Jerrie!", Rumpleteazer screamed and leapt forwards but her mother grabbed her and pulled her away from the strange kittens she had brought home with her. "Let go!", Rumpleteazer howled and struggled but Jennyanydots held on to her.
Most of the cats panicked: Demeter screamed and hid behind Bombalurina, Munkustrap dived infront of them, the littler kittens hid behind their parents, Skimbleshanks ran to pick Mungojerrie up, Exotica fled from the den, Admetus jumped back hissing and all the other screamed, hid or snarled at the strangers. Only three remained calm. Old Deuteronomy looked at the little cats with a fresh interest and Coricopat and Tantomile flinched at the loud noise but stayed sat where they were.
Mungojerrie struggled to his feet looking shocked and ran to sit with Rumpleteazer, who grabbed him and hugged him as tightly as she could. Mungojerrie was not really hurt only stunned and soon everybody had calmed down enough for Old Deuteronomy to make himself heard above the noise.
"Everybody calm down," he ordered,"There is no need to panic."
"No need to panic!", exclaimed Jellylorum,"Did you see that? Demeter is right, they are dangerous." Others were nodding and glaring at Mistoffelees with suspicion and anger.
"They are not dangerous," said Tantomile in a quiet voice. Everybody turned to look at her.
"How can you say that?", Alonzo demanded.
"He is still young and can't control his powers very well yet. He wanted to protect his sister and so..."Tantomile shrugged,"He didn't want to hurt anybody."
Old Deuteronomy was nodding. "I don't believe he was trying to hurt Mungojerrie."
Now the shock was wearing off Jennyanydots was remembering the poor kittens in the snow and how frightened they had looked. She wanted to give them a home and didn't really think they were a threat.
"I'm sorry,"said Mistoffelees in a small voice,"I wasn't trying to hurt or frighten anybody." He looked so genuinly sorry that the Jellicles couldn't help but believe him. Even Demeter who had thought they might be a danger before the incident accepted the apology.
"No 'arm done." Mungojerrie was grinning again and didn't seem at all upset by the incident.
"I think they should be allowed to stay," Jennyanydots said. Some of the others looked doubtful.
"We can watch them carefully for signs of trouble and if they are a threat they can leave again," Admetus suggested. The others all agreed with that and Old Deuteronomy gave Jennyanydots permission to find them somewhere to sleep.
She took them to a nice warm box full of blankets and old cushions and tucked them in.
"Good night." Victoria smiled up at her.
"Good night and thank you," Mistoffelees whispered.
"You are very welcome. This is your home now. Good night." Jennyanydots left the two kittens already fast asleep and went back to her own bed.