Snobby Cat

Cover: 196 x 130mm. Spine: 5.6mm

Snobby

32

Cat

words Patrick Deeley pictures Tatyana Feeney

S N O B BY C AT

Orlando is a snob.

He drinks cream, not milk.

He won’t eat ordinary fish.

Oh no! He eats salmon!

But what happens when he has to catch mice?

Yuck!

Tatyana Feeney

5.99 / £4.99 ISBN 978-0-86278-946-6

p and a s for

Beginner Readers

O'BRIEN

9 780862 789466

Patrick Deeley

PATRICK DEELEY is a poet and has also written The Lost Orchard, and My Dog Lively, number 19 in the PANDA series.

pan

d a 32

p and a s

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PANDA books are for young readers making their own way through books.

1 D:\CONORS CANVAS\CONOR’S CANVAS.VP Thu Jul 24 15:17:43 2008

O’BRIEN SERIES FOR YOUNG READERS

Snobby Cat PATRICK DEELEY Pictures by Tatyana Feeney

THE O’BRIEN PRESS DUBLIN

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First published 2005 by The O’Brien Press Ltd, 12 Terenure Road East, Rathgar, Dublin 6, D06 HD27, Ireland.

Tel: +353 1 4923333; Fax: +353 1 4922777 E-mail: books@obrien.ie Website: www.obrien.ie Reprinted 2006, 2011.

Digital edition 2020.

Copyright for text © Patrick Deeley Copyright for illustrations, layout, editing and design © The O’Brien Press Ltd

ISBN: 978-0-86278-946-6 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any way or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Typesetting, layout, editing, design: The O’Brien Press Ltd

Published in:

Snobby Cat received assistance from the Arts Council

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Can YOU spot the panda hidden in the story?

5 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:35:44 2005

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Orlando wasn’t just any old cat.

He was a

Persian Black Smoke – with long flowing fur and large, amber eyes.

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6 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:17:52 2005

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What’s more, he lived in the biggest, grandest house in the village.

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7 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:17:53 2005

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Each morning, Orlando would stand on a

pedestal while his owner, Bertha Browne, groomed his fur.

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8 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:17:55 2005

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Not a single hair could be left out of place.

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9 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:17:57 2005

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Orlando didn’t take milk.

Oh no! He drank cream from a china bowl.

And he slept in a basket filled with silk cushions.

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10 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:17:58 2005

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But one night when Orlando couldn’t sleep, he slipped through the cat-flap out to the garden.

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11 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:00 2005

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The moon shone, bringing a gleam to his eye.

Orlando made gentle twirls and twists on the garden path.

‘O my!’ he said. ‘I’ve never had such wild fun!’

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12 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:02 2005

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Suddenly he stopped.

What were those

shadowy shapes slinking slowly through the flowerbeds?

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13 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:03 2005

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Yes! It was those beastly cats from Caterwaul Corner.

What were they doing in his garden?

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14 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:05 2005

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One fellow was missing an eye.

A second had only half an ear.

A third hopped on three legs.

A fourth had lost his tail.

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15 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:05 2005

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The Caterwaul Corner cats jumped on each other, making a mad, furry ball.

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16 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:12 2005

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‘How common,’ Orlando hissed.

‘Clear off, you mangy cats!’

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17 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:17 2005

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The cats stopped just long enough to snigger at Orlando.

Then they turned back to wrestle and roll among the flowerbeds again. ‘I must let Bertha know,’ Orlando cried.

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18 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:19 2005

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He saw a large flowerpot on the window-sill.

He leaped up, and the pot fell with a loud crash.

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19 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:19 2005

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The window of Bertha’s room shot open.

‘Away, you scruffy cats!’ she shrieked.

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20 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:20 2005

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A vaseful of water came tumbling down – right on top of Orlando, drenching him to the bone.

The tomcats fled.

Orlando just stood and shivered.

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21 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:22 2005

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Next morning Orlando’s fur was still wet.

It stood all on end, making him look spiky as a hedgehog.

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22 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:23 2005

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He had to stand on his pedestal for two whole hours while Bertha sprayed and shampooed and groomed him.

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23 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:25 2005

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Only when he was looking his best could he come to sit at table.

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24 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:29 2005

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There was cream, and there was cheese on a board.

There was butter in a dish.

And there was salmon!

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25 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:30 2005

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‘Breakfast, my darling!’ said Bertha.

Orlando smiled.

Everything was back to normal.

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26 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:32 2005

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After dinner, he crept onto Bertha’s lap as she was sleeping beside the sitting-room fire. He began to doze.

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27 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:37 2005

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Tap-tip.

Scritch.

Scrip-scrap!

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28 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:40 2005

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What was that?

Noises coming from the spare room?

Orlando opened one eye, and twitched one ear.

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29 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:43 2005

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! p a r -sc

p i r c S

Tap-

tip!

r r rr

r r r rr

Sc

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30 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:44 2005

! m ru

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Suddenly Orlando was flung into the air.

Bertha had woken up.

‘Mice! Mice!’ she screamed.

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31 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:47 2005

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‘Orlando, go up and catch those dreadful creatures at once,’ she ordered.

Orlando stared at Bertha from the fireside rug, where he had landed.

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32 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:48 2005

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Me? he thought.

How can she ask me to catch mice?

But he knew those mice would have to be caught.

And it would be his job.

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33 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:51 2005

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Slowly he climbed the stairs.

He pushed open the spare-room door.

‘Yuck!’ he said.

He could smell the mice.

‘I’m afraid of mice!’

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34 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:52 2005

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Orlando turned and ran.

He ran into Bertha’s bedroom, jumped over Bertha’s bed and out through the open window.

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35 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:54 2005

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He tumbled down to the garden below, and landed almost on his feet.

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36 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:57 2005

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‘I know what I’ll do,’ he gasped.

‘I’ll hire a mouse-hunter.’

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37 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:18:58 2005

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He saw a magpie perched on a chimney pot.

‘I’m a nest-robber, not a mouse-hunter,’ the magpie sneered.

‘Find a hawk if you’re too lazy to catch the mice yourself.’

38 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:03 2005

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39 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:07 2005

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Orlando had no idea where to look for a hawk.

He went to the park.

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40 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:10 2005

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Above his head he saw a kite and the smoky trail of a jet, but no hawk.

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41 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:13 2005

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Orlando stroked his whiskers and thought and thought.

‘The alley cats!’ he said at last.

‘I’ll get them to help.’

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42 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:25 2005

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He strolled to Caterwaul Corner and looked around.

‘Where can they be?’ he wondered.

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43 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:31 2005

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Suddenly a bin lid fell with a clatter.

A man-hole cover lifted.

An old door creaked open.

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44 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:32 2005

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One by one, the Caterwaul cats came out.

They smirked and winked slyly.

They stood in a circle around Orlando.

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45 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:33 2005

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‘I was wondering,’ Orlando said, clearing his throat, ‘if you guys would catch some mice for me up at Bertha’s house?’

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46 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:34 2005

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The Caterwaul cats blinked and scratched themselves with their long, dirty nails.

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47 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:35 2005

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‘Why don’t you catch them yourself?’ One-Eye hissed.

‘Well,’ said Orlando, ‘only common cats catch mice.

And, you see,

I am not a common cat.’

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48 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:37 2005

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‘Too posh to catch mice!’

Three-Legs sniggered.

‘Tell us, what kind of cat is a cat who won’t catch mice?’

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49 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:39 2005

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‘He’s no cat,’ Half-Ear snarled.

‘He’s a chicken!’

‘Maybe he’s a mouse!’ laughed No-Tail.

‘Or a ’fraidy-cat!’

Added One-Eye.

‘He’s a catastrophe! yelled Three-Legs.

They all rolled around, laughing.

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50 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:41 2005

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Then the Caterwaul Corner cats rushed at Orlando, hissing and spitting.

Orlando ran.

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51 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:46 2005

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What will I do? he wondered.

I can’t go home now.

I must get those mice.

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52 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:48 2005

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Night came.

Orlando crept back to Bertha’s garden.

He climbed into the branches of an oak tree and gazed sadly in at his old home.

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53 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:50 2005

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Next moment he heard a ghostly voice.

‘Hooo! Hooo!

I can get rid of the mice.’

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54 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:19:57 2005

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Orlando jumped.

He nearly fell out of the tree.

He was staring into the large, round eyes of a barn owl.

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55 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:00 2005

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‘There’s a hole under the roof,’ she whispered.

‘I can go through it and eat up all the mice.’

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56 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:01 2005

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‘But why?’ asked Orlando.

‘Why do you want to help me?’

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57 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:03 2005

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‘I don’t,’ said the owl.

‘But mice are my favourite food!

And I’d like the spare room to myself every day so I can sleep in peace.’

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58 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:05 2005

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‘It’s a deal,’ said Orlando.

‘Don’t let Bertha find out!’

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59 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:07 2005

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Next morning Bertha listened for the mice.

Nothing! Not a scritch!

Not a scratch!

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60 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:07 2005

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‘They’re gone!’ she said.

She gathered Orlando up in her arms.

‘My

hero!’

she beamed.

Orlando was delighted.

61 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:09 2005

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Orlando’s problem was solved.

But there was a catch.

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62 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:10 2005

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One day the owl wanted Orlando’s cream.

Then she wanted his salmon!

And his silk cushions!

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63 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:11 2005

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Poor Orlando!

Now he was a servant to a bird!

Where would it all end?

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64 E:...edited version Snobby Cat.vp Mon Jun 20 16:20:14 2005

Cover: 196 x 130mm. Spine: 5.6mm

Snobby

32

Cat

words Patrick Deeley pictures Tatyana Feeney

S N O B BY C AT

Orlando is a snob.

He drinks cream, not milk.

He won’t eat ordinary fish.

Oh no! He eats salmon!

But what happens when he has to catch mice?

Yuck!

Tatyana Feeney

5.99 / £4.99 ISBN 978-0-86278-946-6

p and a s for

Beginner Readers

O'BRIEN

9 780862 789466

Patrick Deeley

PATRICK DEELEY is a poet and has also written The Lost Orchard, and My Dog Lively, number 19 in the PANDA series.

pan

d a 32

p and a s