Like all cats Minnie could be both curious and mischievous. She spent her life looking for trouble and finding it.

She lived happily with her owners Mr and Mrs Jackson and their children Tommy and Holly who loved her very much.

This story is about what happened one sunny autumn morning last year.

After a wonderful breakfast of Tuna fish, Minnie knocked over the milk bottle on the doorstep and lapped up the cream. She then lay down to bask in the morning sunlight, whilst cleaning the last of the cream from her whiskers, gently purring to herself thinking this was sheer bliss.

Minnie turned her head and saw what looked like the end of a ball of wool poking out from under the nearby bush. She decided to follow it. “Where would it lead? This could be an adventure” she thought to herself, as she crouched down and followed the trail of bright orange wool. It went around the rose bush, Minnie followed carefully. She didn’t want to spike herself on the thorns……..past the oak tree and down the garden path until she reached the gate…. “Where now” she thought to herself, as she jumped onto the gate.

Molly the dog had been watching her creeping around and decided it was all very boring indeed so she went back to sleep.

“Aaaahh” thought Minnie, “there it is!” The trail continued down the road, catching onto several bushes on the way. Minnie followed intently. The bright orange wool caught on Mr Potts’s gatepost, luckily it didn’t break. It went up the path, round the laurel bush and into his back garden. At the bottom of the lawn behind a small wall she could see Zach.

Zach was a naughty little boy. He was always in trouble at school and was often sent to the headmaster office. There he was sitting behind the wall emptying a large bag out onto the grass. His bright orange jumper was halfway up his back, he hadn’t noticed it unravelling. Zach sat there giggling to himself, thinking he was very clever. The bag was now empty and thrown aside; Zach was sorting through a great pile of apples, plums and toys. Minnie recognised the toys, she was sure that plastic soldier belonged to Tommy and wasn’t that Holly’s toy rabbit?.......Yes everything from the bag had come from Tommy and Holly\'s garden.............she was sure that wasn\'t  right

Holly loved her toy rabbit and Tommy often played with his set of soldiers, and Mrs Jackson would not be able to make a Plum and Apple pie at the weekend, as Zach must have stolen all the plums from the tree.

“What could she do about it?” thought Minnie. “I have to let my owners know but how?”

She saw Zach’s bag on the ground just in front of her, if she stretched her paws out could she reach it ……oooohhh she might, just a bit further now. Her claw caught hold of the bag handle and slowly and gently she pulled it towards her. Zach was totally unaware of Minnie behind him; he was too busy munching on the stolen apples.

Minnie grabbed the handle in her teeth and quietly crept away. When she was out of his sight she ran down the road holding the bag tightly by the handle. Zach no idea he had been seen, he was too interested in his stolen loot. Minnie ran all the way back home and as she approached her garden she could hear crying and saw Mr and Mrs Jackson looking in dismay at all the bruised apples and split plums thrown around the garden……….. “I bet Zach did that!” thought Minnie.

She meowed as loud as she could and pawed at the bottom of Mr Jackson’s trouser leg. “What is it Minnie?” he said, looking down he spotted the bag in her mouth. “That looks like a school bag” said Holly, taking it out of Minnie\'s mouth. She held the bag up and looked at the label inside it read

“Property of Zach Potts.”

Minnie walked towards the orange wool caught on the bush. “I think she wants us to follow her” said Tommy. So the Jacksons set off following the trail all the way back to Zach’s garden.

Zach was running around the garden with his pockets full of apples and plums, he was holding Tommy’s soldier in his hand and kicking Holly’s poor rabbit with his foot.

“Zach. I think this is yours?” shouted Mr Jackson sternly, holding up the school bag, “and I think those are ours. What’s left of them” pointing to the bruised fruit and broken toys thrown all over the garden  Zach looked shocked; the smile quickly disappeared from his face.

“I need to speak to your father” said Mr Jackson, taking hold of Zach firmly by the arm and marching him up to the front door. Zach’s dad answered, he wasn’t very happy with his son’s behaviour. That afternoon, Zach got a good scolding and was made to tidy up all the mess he had made in the Jackson’s garden and return the undamaged fruit and toys. He had to pay for all the broken toys out of his pocket money. Every weekend for the next month, he had to clean the Jackson’s car, tidy their garden and mow the lawn.

The Jacksons were very pleased with Minnie, if it hadn’t been for her great detective work following the orange wool trail they would have never found out who had the mede all the mess in their garden and stolen their toys.

She was rewarded with the biggest meal of chicken pieces and salmon skin………yum, yum, her favourite. Tommy and Holly bought her a new squeaky mouse and a soft red cushion to lie on.

As she went to sleep that night curled up at the foot of Tommy’s bed she purred to herself……”what a lucky cat and a very clever cat” she thought ….PURR!….PURR!