The Worst Witch All at Sea (3 page)

Mildred was appalled. She scooped Tabby from the hearth and clutched him to her damp, unfrivolous summer dress, the remaining icicles tinkling on to the floor as she did so.

‘But what about Tabby, Miss Cackle!’ she exclaimed. ‘I mean, it’s very kind of you to consider me like this, but I’ve had him now for nearly two years and he depends on me – especially as he isn’t very clever, and I’m very fond of him.’

Miss Cackle smiled indulgently at Mildred, who looked rather appealing standing in a puddle of melted snow, her clothes and plaits dripping wet, with the pathetic little cat clasped to her heart.

‘Now then, dear,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing to worry about. Miss Tapioca, the school cook, was only telling me this morning that the kitchen is having a mouse problem and that she needs a good mouser. I would say that little Tabby here is just right for the job, wouldn’t you? And it won’t matter about his stripes, tucked away out of sight down in the kitchen.’

‘But, Miss Cackle,’ said Mildred, ‘Tabby’s frightened of mice. He doesn’t —’

‘Nonsense, Mildred,’ laughed Miss Cackle. ‘No cat is afraid of mice! What an idea. No, I think your work will improve no end if you accept my offer of Fenella’s cat. And Tabby will have the time of his life down in the kitchen chasing mice all day and curling up by the range when he’s tired. Off you go now. Miss Tapioca is expecting you – I rang her a moment ago. Run along, dear, or you’ll be late for assembly. Miss Tapioca has Tabby’s replacement in a basket downstairs.’

‘Yes, Miss Cackle. Thank you, Miss Cackle,’ said Mildred, trying unsuccessfully not to cry. She held Tabby even tighter and went out into the corridor, where the icy wind struck her in the face as she left the warm fireside behind her and closed the door.

he kitchen was in the basement of the school. It was reached by several long, dark corridors and narrow staircases. It took about half an hour to get there from the dining-hall, which explained why the food was always stone cold.

‘Now don’t be scared, Tabby,’ Mildred sobbed into the little cat’s rumpled fur. ‘I’ll work out a plan to get you back with me again. I’ll sneak down and give you extra training sessions so you’ll get better at flying, and perhaps I could make you a little black coat to hide the stripes. I don’t know why they’re being so funny about that now, after all this time.
They
gave you to me in the first place. It’s not fair.’

There was great activity in the kitchen, which, because of its gigantic range, was mercifully warm. Over the range bubbled huge cauldrons of the atrocious porridge to be served for the girls’ breakfast, after assembly.

Mildred stood unnoticed in the doorway watching the four undercooks charging about. Miss Tapioca, a large person, proportioned very much like a cottage loaf, with white hair bundled into a hairnet, sat at one end of the fifteen-foot-long kitchen table looking up a recipe.

‘Ah, Mildred Hubble!’ she said, glancing up and seeing the bedraggled Mildred lurking in the shadows. ‘Have you brought our new mouser? Come

and show it to us, girl. Don’t just stand there staring.’

Mildred brought Tabby out from beneath her cloak and held him up. The four undercooks had gathered round as well and they all tickled him on top of his head and smoothed his wind-blown fur.

‘Just right for a mouser,’ said Miss Tapioca. ‘And here is Ebony in exchange. Much too intelligent and

well trained to be wasted in the kitchen. Well, put the cat down, Mildred – unless you want to stay with him and catch mice yourself?’

She handed Mildred the basket. Mildred could see a pair of brilliant green eyes gazing at her from the shadow inside. Tabby, nicely warmed up by the hot kitchen, had retreated to his favourite position round Mildred’s neck. There was nothing else to be done, except to take the basket and go.

‘May I come and visit him?’ asked Mildred, her voice quivering as she uncurled Tabby from her neck and placed him in Miss Tapioca’s arms.

‘I don’t think that would be very sensible, Mildred,’ said Miss Tapioca, holding Tabby in a very tight grip as the little cat was grimly trying to get back on to Mildred’s shoulders. ‘He will be much too busy chasing mice to spare any time for visitors. Off you go and take care of Ebony – now that really
is
a cat to be proud of. You’ll forget this little scruff in five minutes once you’ve been out flying with a cat like Ebony. Listen! There’s the bell for assembly. You’d better hurry.’

Mildred left the kitchen without looking back. She could hear Tabby yowling desperately as he tried to follow her. She dived up the stairs two at a time, ran to her room, dumped her suitcase, broomstick and the cat-basket and sprinted the last few corridors to join Maud and Enid marching into the Great Hall.

‘Hello, Mil,’ said Enid. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘What’s the matter, Mildred?’ asked Maud. ‘You look as if something ghastly’s happened.’

‘It has,’ said Mildred, bursting into tears as quietly as possible, bearing in

mind the fact that they were on their way into assembly. ‘I’ll tell you about it later.’

After assembly, during which Miss Cackle announced that lunch-break would be in the Great Hall instead of the yard because the snow was already several feet thick, the girls trooped off to their form-rooms, to be greeted by their form-mistresses.