Magic Kitten: A Christmas Surprise by Sue Bentley Page A

help you. I’m brilliant at clearing up and stuff,’ she said brightly.
    ‘It’s nice of you to offer, but Molly and the word “help” can sometimes spell trouble!’ Mrs Paget said wryly, ruffling her daughter’s blonde hair. ‘I’ll get your dad to give me a hand with the bedroom. It’s his parents who are staying, after all.’
    ‘Did I hear my name mentioned?’ Mr Paget said, coming into the kitchen. His hair was speckled with dust and there were cobwebs sticking to his blue jumper. He quickly washed his hands before helping himself to a mince pie.
    ‘Da-ad! You’ve got yucky stuff all over you,’ Molly said, laughing. She reached up to pick off a cobweb.
    ‘Have I? I didn’t notice,’ Mr Paget said around a mouthful of pie. ‘I’ve just been in the attic. I had to move amountain of old rubbish to get to the Christmas tree and decorations. Anyway, I found them in the end. They’re in the sitting room.’
    ‘Brilliant!’ Molly said excitedly, already speeding out of the kitchen. ‘I’m going to put the tree up right now!’
    ‘Slow down a bit, Molly!’ her mum called after her.
    But Molly had already gone. Mr Paget shook his head slowly. ‘Molly’s only got two speeds. Fast and faster!’ he said as he followed his daughter.
    By the time her dad came into the sitting room, Molly had her arms full of folded, green spiky branches. ‘There’s an awful lot of tree,’ she said peering into the long box. ‘I don’t remember it being so huge.’

    Mr Paget laughed. ‘Well it can’t have grown since last year, can it, you muppet? I’ll fetch the step-ladder.’
    ‘That’s a job well done!’ Mr Paget said an hour later.
    Molly looked up at the Christmastree, which almost touched the sitting-room ceiling. ‘It’s dead impressive. I can’t wait to decorate it!’ She fished about in another cardboard box and produced some tissue-wrapped packages. Unwrapping one of them, she looked closely at the blue glass bauble. ‘Isn’t this lovely? It’s got silver-frosted snowflake patterns all over it,’ she said delightedly. ‘Have we got any more like this?’
    Her dad nodded. ‘There are lots of them. I remember them hanging on our Christmas tree when I was little.’
    ‘Really? They must be ancient then,’ Molly said.
    ‘Cheeky!’ Mr Paget said, grinning, giving her a playful nudge in the arm. ‘I’d forgotten we had those baubles. Bevery careful with them, won’t you?’
    ‘I will,’ Molly promised, unpacking the precious baubles very gently.
    Mr Paget peered into the empty cardboard box. ‘That’s funny. I thought the tinsel and other stuff was in there too. Maybe it’s in the garage. I’ll go and have a look.’
    Molly frowned. She knew that her dad couldn’t resist tidying up when he was looking for things. He was bound to be ages. ‘Aw, do you have to do it now, Dad?’
    Mr Paget grinned at the look on her face. ‘Impatient to get going, aren’t you? Why don’t you make a start on the bottom branches? But you’d better wait for me to come back before you do the ones higher up.’
    ‘OK!’ Molly said, already tearing open a packet of little green plastic hooks.

    As soon as he’d gone she began hanging baubles on the tree. Soon, the bottom branches were finished. Molly stood back to admire theway the blue, red and gold glass gleamed prettily against the dark green.
    Her dad still hadn’t come back. Molly looked longingly up at the higher branches. She shifted her feet impatiently. ‘Come on, Dad, you slowcoach,’ she grumbled. She hesitated for a moment longer and then dragged the step-ladder closer to the tree.
    He was bound to be back in a minute. She’d just start doing a few more branches. Climbing halfway up the ladder, she began fixing baubles to the branches that were within easy reach.
    This is easy , she thought, I don’t know what Dad was worrying about .
    She climbed higher to hang more decorations. At this rate, she’d soon have the whole tree