I stepped forward on wobbly legs, my heavy head counterweight to a very tiny body. I meowed plaintively and tried to scratch at the old, frayed towel that floored our cardboard home. My name is Tugger - mom usually calls me Rum Tum Tugger - and I have one bother and two sisters. My favorite is Mistoffelees, but I suppose Cassandra and Bombalurina are alright too. I tried to shake my mighty mane and fell over on my side. Embarrassed, I cast a superior glance at Cassandra's wide stare.

"I ment to du that." I told everyone in my squeaky voice.

I wished that I sounded like Daddy. His voice was deep and strong. I looked up at the box opening hoping to see him standing there, but all I saw was the ceiling. I let out another meow before forgetting why I felt so saddened. My little paws took me across the floor of their own accord and I ran nose first into Mistoffelees.

"What ya doin'?" I asked in a whisper.

"Magg-ick." He replied in an equally small voice. "Mom gone now."

"Ah." I tried to nod knowingly, but just ended up head butting my brother instead.

Mommy didn't like it when Mistoffelees used his Magg-Ick. She said it was danj-ur-us, but me and Mistoffelees liked the Magg-ick. It looked pretty sometimes.

"Take us outside." I plead in a whine.

I liked outside. It's big and pretty with shiny things and more Mommys and Daddys. Mistoffelees shook his head, his expression solemn. '

"Not s'pose to." He said seriously.

I put a paw over his shoulder and drew him closer until our fluffy fur was meshed into a mixture of black and orange. I put my mouth up to his ear so that the girls couldn't hear what I was going to say. They would tell mommy and get us into trouble.

"Outside dere's fud." I told him knowingly. "Mommy was e'tin' it."

"Re-lly?" He asked, eyes widening in hunger. His stomach growled.

I nod. "Re-lly. Sa it. Now come 'n. Outside." I prompted.

He scrunched his eyes closed, wiggled his nose as he concentrated and then let out a muffled yowl as we were both surrounded by pure white light. I blinked and when I could see again we were outside the box. I shivered at how cold it was. Something was wrong. I was being hit on the head by something damp and cold. I looked up to see if mommy was cleaning me again. She was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I got a big drop of water in my eye. I shook my head furiously and backed towards the box.

"Misto'fleece." I meowed fearfully. "What this?"

He looked up into the crying sky and cocked his head to one side. "I t'ink it's ray-nuh." He pronounced the word carefully.

"Yuck!" I flicked my whiskers with a front paw. "Put us back, qui'ck."