Chorley was a nearly grown up kitten of great mystery.
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| I've got my eye on you! |
Although he loved his new grown-ups, Alison and Tris very much, he needed more. There was a whole world of people and adventures to explore.
While out on patrol, he’d pop back through his cat flap every once in a while to check his grown-ups were still there.
‘Harrow! Haaarrrrow’ he’d announce.
‘Harrow’ his grown-ups would shout back.
Once he’d found them, he’d jump on one and then onto the other (he didn’t like to show any favouritism), purring and pushing his head against them demanding attention.
‘I wish we knew where you went and what you got up to when you go off adventuring’, said Alison.
Chorley did indeed have many adventures, but that information was classified. Once he’d jumped over the wall of the yard, he was on very important and very secret business. Chorley Bucket was in charge of Neighbourhood Watch!
Chorley’s job was to patrol the houses in the local area and check for doors and windows that had been left open.
‘An open door or window is like saying ‘Come on in and steal my stuff’. It’s just inviting crime’, said Policeman Ant. He wasn’t a real ant – it was short for Anthony.
Chorley was like an opposite ‘Cat Burgler’!
The street where Chorley lived was very friendly and people often left their back doors open so Chorley had a big job to do to remind them to be alert.
One night Chorley spotted a young hooded human lurking in the alleyway at the back of his row of houses.
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| Chorley keeping watch. |
‘Harrow - who goes there?’ demanded Chorley. The hoodie said nothing and carried on walking towards the beautiful woman with the dark hair and nice smile’s back gate.
‘Halt – I said’ shouted Chorley. But the hoodie still ignored him.
By now Chorley had been joined on the top of the wall by Stanley the stripy snail and all Stanley’s snail friends.
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| Stanley the stripy snail. |
Chorley was very angry. He was so angry he saw red.
‘Oh no you don’t, you potential thief’, he shouted. ‘Not on my patch!’
And with that , faster than you could say ‘pilchards and prunes’ he picked up Stanley who was sitting next to him and hurled him at the would-be burglar.
‘Take that!’ he shouted as Stanley (who was somewhat surprised) went flying through the air.
‘Oouuch’ said the hoodie turning around as Stanley’s hard shell hit him squarely on the side of his head.
But Chorley wasn’t going to stop there. One by one he picked up and threw Stanley’s snail friends who were conveniently lined up on the top of the wall.
The would-be burglar hadn’t expected opposition like this. It was like being attacked by flying snails.
‘Stop-it, stop-it’ he cried as he ran away back down the alley.
‘And don’t come back!’ shouted Chorley as he disappeared around the corner.
Once Chorley had calmed down, he remembered about Stanley and all his snail friends. He hoped they were alright. One by one the startled snails climbed back out of the alleyway and up onto the wall.
‘Sorry Stanley’, said Chorley. ‘Are you OK? Did you break your shell?’
‘I’m OK. But I think Reginald may have taken a hit’, said Stanley.
Poor old Reginald the snail was a sorry sight, with a big crack right across the back of his shell.
'I’ll be alright. It’s only a little crack’, said Reginald.
Chorley quickly found the first aid box but it was too big to fetch outside through the cat flap. So he opened it up and looked for a bandage which he carried gently in his mouth back out into the yard.
‘I’m sorry’, said Chorley again, once Reginald had been bandaged up.
‘Chorley – we all understand that you have a job to do. Keeping our streets safe is very important and we were happy to be part of your crusade against crime. My shell will grow back and mend’, said Reginald.
‘What have you been up to this evening then?’ said Alison when Chorley jumped up on the bed for his regular 11 o’clock check-in.
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| What's that on your paws Chorley? |
‘Yuk – you’ve got snail slime on your paws’!
‘If only you knew’ thought Chorley. ‘If only you knew!’
