Free Double Trouble by Sue Bentley Page B

beats me why they chose that hole, when there was an easier way in,” he said. He showed them the stone that had been propping the door shut. Even with the door closed, there was a gap at the top.
    â€œDa-ad!” Kim scolded with a grin. “Haven’t you fixed that broken door yet?”
    Mr. Taylor pretended to look hurt. “All in good time.”
    Kim gave him a playful shove. He’d been saying that for months!
    Mia was fascinated by the fluffy brown chicks. She seemed genuinely relaxed and happy for the first time since she arrived. It gave Kim an idea.
    â€œCome with me,” she said, tugging at Mia’s arm.
    Mia frowned suspiciously. “Why? Where are we going?”
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    â€œTa-dah!” Kim opened the bedroom closet to reveal her new telescope in all its glory. “Gran and Granddad Taylor bought it for my tenth birthday this year. I haven’t used it much yet.”

    â€œNot bad,” Mia said, trying not to look too impressed.
    â€œI know. Gran and Granddad are great. They never buy boring stuff like slippers and packs of felt-tip pens,” Kim said, lifting out the telescope. “I thought we could watch the robins going in and out of the shed to feed their chicks.”
    Mia nodded. “I’ll help you set it up.”
    They moved a small bedside table in front of the window. After Kim had put the telescope on its stand, she explained how to focus it and then stood back to let Mia have the first look.
    â€œI can see a robin on the apple tree!” Mia said excitedly. “Its beak is full of grubs or something. It just flew into the shed!”

    Kim and Mia took turns watching the robins come and go. They brought all sorts of food. Sometimes it was small caterpillars or grubs and once it was a juicy wriggling worm.
    Mia really loved the telescope. She couldn’t stop looking through it. “I can see the farm on the hill at the end of your garden.”
    Kim was happy that Mia was finally taking an interest in something. Her cousin even smiled a couple of times.
    â€œAre you having a good time?” Mr. Taylor popped his head around the door. He held up a dusty green bag. “Look what else I found in the shed!”
    Kim leaped on it eagerly. “That’s my old tent! I haven’t seen it for so long. We could camp out in the garden tonight. Can we, Dad?”
    Her dad smiled. “I don’t see why not. It’s a warm night. If you can drag yourselves away from those robins for ten seconds, I’ll help you put up the tent.”
    By the time Kim and Mia were spreading tarps and sleeping bags inside the tent, the sky was a deep blue and stars were glinting above the apple tree.
    â€œIt’ll be fun camping out, don’t you think, Mia?” Kim said.
    But suddenly Mia seemed to have second thoughts. “Actually I might not want to. It’s going to be cold in that old tent.” She stood up. “I’m going inside to feed Bibi. I’ll let you know what I decide later,” she said.

    Kim’s spirits sank. Just when they seemed to be getting along, Mia was grumpy again. She sighed and decided to go down to the shed for a last check on the robin’s nest. Her dad had put the stone back in front of the door. She moved it aside very carefully and peered in. The chicks were sleeping, safe and warm.
    She was putting the stone back when, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a faint glow. Edging around the side of the shed, she went to investigate.
    â€œOh!” Kim gasped.
    There, half hidden by tall weeds, crouched a cute silver kitten. It blinked up at her with big, scared, green eyes. Kim looked closer. Its fur seemed to be glittering with hundreds of silver sparks, like tiny Christmas tree lights.
    Kim shook her head in confusion. Of course its fur couldn’t be glowing, and when she looked again the sparkles did seem to have disappeared.
    But what was it doing here? Had someone