Chapter One 21st December It was Christmas time and Lucy’s home was full of delicious baking smells, fairy lights, and decorations. It was especially busy in Lucy’s house this year because her dad’s friends from Australia were coming to stay with them for Christmas.
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They were supposed to be moving in to a house in the village, but their new home wouldn’t be ready until the New Year. Lucy was in her bedroom with her little cat Merry, her pyjama-case dog Scruffy, and her rocking horse, Rocky. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, shaking her snow globe. She loved the snow globe. It lit up at night and there was a pretty Christmassy woodland scene inside. Once, she had even thought she’d seen Father Christmas and a reindeer. It normally cheered her up to watch the pretty white and silver flakes falling, but today she sighed.
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They were supposed to be moving in to a house in the village, but their new home wouldn’t be ready until the New Year. Lucy was in her bedroom with her little cat Merry, her pyjama-case dog Scruffy, and her rocking horse, Rocky. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, shaking her snow globe. She loved the snow globe. It lit up at night and there was a pretty Christmassy woodland scene inside. Once, she had even thought she’d seen Father Christmas and a reindeer. It normally cheered her up to watch the pretty white and silver flakes falling, but today she sighed.
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‘Christmas was going to be really special
on it delightedly. She never tired of that
this year. Gran was coming to stay in my
game.
room after her shoulder operation and
‘Lucy? Have you cleared your
now it’s all changed. It was going to be
bedroom yet?’ called Mum up the stairs.
like a fun sleepover with Gran, but now
Lucy looked at the floor. It had been
Mum says I have to sleep downstairs
fine before Merry had padded upstairs
with this girl called Sita . . .’ said Lucy
to pay her a visit. First Merry had jumped
to her three friends. ‘I’ve never even
on the wastepaper basket and tipped
met her and I’ve got to share a room
all the rubbish out. She had looked
with her just because she’s the same age
so sweet patting all the scrunched-up
as me. What if she doesn’t like animals?
paper and chasing old pens that Lucy
What if she doesn’t like naughty cats
had forgotten that she was supposed
like you, Merry?’
to be getting her room ready for Gran.
Lucy put the snow globe carefully
Then Merry had jumped up on the
back on her windowsill and rolled a pen
chest of drawers and knocked a pot of
across the room for Merry, who jumped
glitter all over Lucy’s bedroom carpet.
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‘Christmas was going to be really special
on it delightedly. She never tired of that
this year. Gran was coming to stay in my
game.
room after her shoulder operation and
‘Lucy? Have you cleared your
now it’s all changed. It was going to be
bedroom yet?’ called Mum up the stairs.
like a fun sleepover with Gran, but now
Lucy looked at the floor. It had been
Mum says I have to sleep downstairs
fine before Merry had padded upstairs
with this girl called Sita . . .’ said Lucy
to pay her a visit. First Merry had jumped
to her three friends. ‘I’ve never even
on the wastepaper basket and tipped
met her and I’ve got to share a room
all the rubbish out. She had looked
with her just because she’s the same age
so sweet patting all the scrunched-up
as me. What if she doesn’t like animals?
paper and chasing old pens that Lucy
What if she doesn’t like naughty cats
had forgotten that she was supposed
like you, Merry?’
to be getting her room ready for Gran.
Lucy put the snow globe carefully
Then Merry had jumped up on the
back on her windowsill and rolled a pen
chest of drawers and knocked a pot of
across the room for Merry, who jumped
glitter all over Lucy’s bedroom carpet.
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5
‘Oh, Merry! You really are a
‘Oh, Lucy!’ Gran had said. ‘This is
Christmas cat now!’ Lucy had laughed,
definitely the nicest card in the ward!
as Merry left little glittery paw prints all
What a kind girl you are! I can’t wait
over the room. ‘It’s a good thing I’ve
until Christmas. We’ll have a special
made all the Christmas cards already.’
girls’ sleepover, you and me, and talk
This year Lucy had made lots of
about what we’ll do when the Wildlife
Christmas cards and drawn a picture
Rescue Centre opens again. At least
of a special magic baby reindeer on the
whilst I’m in hospital I can make the
front of each, so she had needed lots
Centre better. I’m getting so much
of glitter. She had sold them on a stall
building work done and it would have
at school to raise money for her gran’s
been too noisy for the sick animals
Wildlife Rescue Centre. Then she gave
if they’d been there. We’re having
the money and a special card on which
a bigger kitchen with new sinks and
she had written ‘Get Well Soon’ to Gran
cupboards, and a little quiet area, and
in the hospital. Gran had put it beside
even a new aviary at the back. There are
her hospital bed.
going to be heated cages and a place
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‘Oh, Merry! You really are a
‘Oh, Lucy!’ Gran had said. ‘This is
Christmas cat now!’ Lucy had laughed,
definitely the nicest card in the ward!
as Merry left little glittery paw prints all
What a kind girl you are! I can’t wait
over the room. ‘It’s a good thing I’ve
until Christmas. We’ll have a special
made all the Christmas cards already.’
girls’ sleepover, you and me, and talk
This year Lucy had made lots of
about what we’ll do when the Wildlife
Christmas cards and drawn a picture
Rescue Centre opens again. At least
of a special magic baby reindeer on the
whilst I’m in hospital I can make the
front of each, so she had needed lots
Centre better. I’m getting so much
of glitter. She had sold them on a stall
building work done and it would have
at school to raise money for her gran’s
been too noisy for the sick animals
Wildlife Rescue Centre. Then she gave
if they’d been there. We’re having
the money and a special card on which
a bigger kitchen with new sinks and
she had written ‘Get Well Soon’ to Gran
cupboards, and a little quiet area, and
in the hospital. Gran had put it beside
even a new aviary at the back. There are
her hospital bed.
going to be heated cages and a place
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for bigger animals in the garden too.
‘Oh, Lucy!’ Mum was in the
It’ll be wonderful. So it’s all worked
doorway looking hot and bothered.
out very well, and we’re so lucky that
She was holding one end of a camp bed
Meadowbank Sanctuary took the little
she had got out of the attic, and Oscar,
hedgehogs and the robin.’
Lucy’s big brother, who was in his first
It was really exciting but Lucy
year at secondary school, was holding
missed Gran and helping out at the
the other. ‘This room was supposed to
Centre very much. But she was glad that
be ready by now. Honestly, Lucy—what
the operation was over and that Gran
a mess!’
was coming to stay for a few weeks. Lucy
‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ said Lucy, trying
had planned to spend their sleepover
to ignore the pretend-shocked face
time every day talking about how they
Oscar was pulling behind Mum’s back.
would look after the hedgehogs and
He could be so annoying. And he didn’t
deer and foxes and owls and other birds
even have to move out of his bedroom.
and animals when the Centre opened
It wasn’t fair. ‘It was ready but Merry
again. Lucy loved animals so much.
tipped the wastepaper basket over.’
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