It was a drowsy sort of day down in the Buttercup Meadow where Mary the Lamb lived. The apple tree was full of blossoms and the buttercups and daisies stood up proudly in the warm sunshine. The birds were chattering away to whoever would listen and the bees were as busy as ever collecting honey for the winter, which on a day like this was a very long way off.

   Mary the Lamb wandered slowly around her field. She didn’t have anything to do and was feeling a little bored. She walked over to the gate of her field and looked out.

   Up the lane she saw a little old lady dressed in black coming towards her. She had a long black frock on and was wearing a pointed black hat. In her hand she was carrying a birch broom.

   Mary at once saw that it was the good witch, Matilda Clogbottom. She was a nice old lady and was always doing everyone a good turn. She came towards Mary and stopped at the gate.

“Hello Mary”, she said, “I was hoping to see you today”.

“What can I do for you Matilda?” Mary asked.

  “Well,” answered Matilda. “For a long time now, there’s been something missing in my cottage and today I realized just what it was. I think I would like a little kitten to live with me. One that I could teach some of my spells too. A sort of assistant to help me and keep me company. All witches should have a cat you know.”

  “I see”, said Mary. “But how can I help you.”

  “Well, you see a lot of people and I thought that you could keep an eye open and if you hear of a kitten with no home, you could let me know,” said Matilda.

“Ok. I can do that!”

  “Make sure it’s a white one though,” said Matilda, “I prefer those to the black ones that witches always have. You can see them in the dark which stops you falling over them.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” said Mary and with that, Matilda waved goodbye and was on her way down the lane. Mary wandered across her field thinking over all that the witch had said.

   Soon it was nighttime and Mary settled under her apple tree to sleep. In the middle of the night, she was disturbed by the sound of a horse and cart moving down the lane. She closed her eyes again and settled back comfortably to go to sleep.

Suddenly there was a terrific crash in the tree above her head. She jumped up in alarm as she was showered with small twigs and branches.

   “What on earth could it be?” she thought peering up in the branches of the tree, but it was so dark, and the branches so thick with blossom that she could see nothing.

   She sat there listening and looking. Way above her in the tree she could hear something moving and scratching, making a muffled but angry sound.

 “I’ll have to wait for daylight,” she thought to herself. “Perhaps then I will be able to see just what has happened.”

She then settled down and went to sleep until morning came.

When day broke, she was already awake.

  She peered up into the tree and there, hooked on one of the branches was a sack with the top tied up. There was a great deal of movement going on and whatever was inside was very angry indeed. She sat there watching the sack wondering what on earth it could be.

  Suddenly a small hole appeared in the sack. After a great deal more movement it became bigger and bigger.

  Mary sat watching intently, not realizing that she was sitting right under the sack!

   Mary jumped back in surprise and fell over. She lay very still, peering at the bundle of white that had fallen on her. It got up on its legs and shook its furry head and snorted.

   “Thank goodness for that,” it said, “Nasty smelly old sack.”

Suddenly as the hole widened, a small bundle of white appeared through it and with a bonk, dropped straight onto Mary’s head. 

  Mary moved forward and saw that it was a very small furry white kitten. “Where did you come from?” she asked. “How did you get into my tree?”

  “Questions, questions!” chimed the small white kitten.

  “I was kidnapped by gypsies! I think they must have been nervous because last night they put me in a sack and threw me into this field. As it was dark, they couldn’t see where I landed. I’m only glad there wasn’t a ditch here or I might not have managed to get out in time.”

  “My name is Mary. Where do you live then and what is your name?” Mary asked.  

  “Oh, I come from a long way away from here,” said the kitten. “And the people I lived with didn’t really want me. They never ever got around to giving me a name.”

  Mary thought for a moment and the memory of her conversation with Matilda came to her head.