Charlie was
a fluffy, orange and brown, striped pussycat. He was nearly three years
old and his Mummy explained to him that he was to start school very soon.
Charlie had a very good friend who came to play with him nearly every
day. Charlie’s friend was a young tiger. He was five years old and
also went to school. His name was Tickles, everyone called him tickles
because he was so ticklish, and whenever someone touched him he would jump up
and down crying and laughing, "Stop, Stop! You're tickling me!"
Tickles came
over to Charlie's place one bright day early in the morning to walk Charlie to
school. It was Charlie's first day at school! Mummy had woken
Charlie up very early that morning to prepare him for his big day.
Charlie wasn't too pleased about that! He loved sleeping in!
Charlie's Mummy packed his lunch case full of good things to eat and
when
Tickles came round she gave Charlie a fond kiss and told him to behave at
school. Charlie did not like that either! "Oh no Mum! Do
I have to behave at school as well!" Charlie’s Mummy laughed as she
ushered the two friends out of the house.
Off they
went up a winding path that lead them towards the little school on the top of
Granger Hill. On their way to school they met more animals walking towards
the school. They met Sammy squirrel, "Hello", said Sammy as he
hopped about from branch to branch through the trees that lined the path they
were following. "Hello Sammy", said Tickles "I'm taking
Charlie to school today, it is his first day". Charlie walked beside
Tickles not saying anything. He was thinking. "I would like to
know what school is like if I have to behave myself, it must be pretty boring,
no at all exciting and fun." Charlie was a very sweet-natured, cuddly
pussycat but he was also a bit naughty and was always up to mischief!
“Come on!
Charlie!” shouted Tickles, as they approached the school gates. “Hurry up or
we'll be late!” Charlie had wandered off whilst Tickles and Sammy were
discussing something rather important together, Charlie had been bored and
spied a butterfly near some flowers, so he had gone off chasing it!
The
classroom was full of little animals when Charlie and Tickles entered. There
was Sammy the squirrel; Betty and Bobby the twin bear cubs, Lucy the duck
and Gilly the gander. Penny the piglet and Dinky the dog, and a lot more!
Charlie had never seen so many children together at one time!
Miss Hazel
the schoolteacher introduced Charlie to the rest of the children, "please
say hello to our newcomer Charlie Cat and please make him feel welcome, you all
know what the first day of school is like." Everyone said a big
hello to Charlie, which pleased him very much! "Now Charlie please
take a seat near the window, that's right, sit down now, and we will begin the
first lesson for today” Miss Hazel got out her reading glasses and started
reading from the book she had on the table beside her, the children were all
seated quietly listening to her story.
At first
Charlie listened to the story as well, but soon enough he got bored and his
eyes were drawn to the open window right near him. He could feel and see
the lovely warm sun outside! "If only I was out there instead of in
here!" He thought to himself. He tried concentrating very hard
to what Miss Hazel was reading but his whiskers kept on twitching and his ears
kept on pricking to go out! He couldn't stay in a second longer!
With one long look at Miss Hazel, who was engrossed in the book, he
jumped up on the windowsill and in a flash he was outside! All he could
think of was the freedom he felt at being outside in the warm sunshine,
bounding about from tree to bench to flower beds, he saw another butterfly and
chased it with such enthusiasm that he nearly caught it! "This is
better than being indoors!"
Meanwhile,
in the classroom, Miss Hazel was not aware that Charlie had escaped outside
although most of the children had seen him jump out, but they knew better than
to tell their teacher. When Miss Hazel stopped reading she asked the
children to draw a picture of whatever scene they had like best from the story
she had read, then she noticed that Charlie was missing! "Where is
Charlie?" She demanded. All the children looked around the
classroom for Charlie, even though they knew where he was! They looked under
chairs and tables and behind cupboards and even behind Miss Hazel's desk.
Finally Miss Hazel caught sight of an orange stripped cat bounding in the
air outside the window. "Charlie!" shouted Miss Hazel looking
out from the window "Charlie! Please come inside this instant!"
Charlie stopped in this tracks and turned around, he saw all the animals
including Tickles and Miss Hazel watching him from the classroom window.
"Oh Oh!" said Charlie "Looks like I've done it again!"
When Charlie
was back inside the classroom, Miss Hazel told him to sit down and stay put for
the rest of the day. All the other children were allowed out to play in
the garden during break time but Charlie had to stay in side!
On their way
home Tickles told his best friend "Charlie, you must learn to behave
yourself and stop being a naughty pussycat! Especially when you are at
school!" Charlie promised that next time he would try harder not to
be naughty. But he didn't succeed! Poor Charlie!
