All this time Ula was around the side of the house, having squeezed through a gap in the fence, trying to see inside the secret hidden garden in the hope of finding the ball. She was terrified that she would make a sound that would attract the attention of Grayston, who would come and bark at her and maybe do something even worse.

She couldn’t see the ball at all and was feeling scared. She wished she could be of more help to Lobbus, who was bravely talking to Grayston through the front fence all by himself. ‘One leaf at a time, one leaf at a time,’ she said to herself to keep the panic away while she looked for the ball. It seemed to be working. What good advice! What a great cousin!

Suddenly, Ula felt a tiny breath of warm wind on her ear. She didn’t know what it was, but before she could look up or get too scared she heard a whisper.

‘Ulee, it’s me!’

It was Catvinkle, hovering in the air with the big red bow on her tail spinning incredibly fast like the propeller on a helicopter.

‘Catvinkle, what are you doing here?’ Ula asked, in a very quiet voice so that Grayston wouldn’t hear.

‘I was at home in front of the fire practising my baby-shoe dancing for the competition tomorrow, but I found that I couldn’t concentrate because I felt bad inside. At first I thought it was the salmon I ate yesterday but then I remembered that you ate it too and that you weren’t feeling bad inside.’

‘Yes, I was.’

‘Do you think it was the salmon?’

‘No.’

‘No, neither do I,’ said Catvinkle. ‘What could possibly be bad about salmon – other than that it’s not herring? I realised that I felt bad inside for a number of reasons, none of which have salmon in them.’

‘What are they?’ asked Ula.

‘First, I missed you. I think you’ve become my best friend. I never expected a dog to be my friend at all, let alone my best friend, but here you are. Second, I was ashamed that I wasn’t doing more to help you get the ball back for the children. Something your cousin, Lobbus the brave dog Lobbus, said really stuck in my head.’

‘What was it?’ Ula enquired.

‘Lobbus said that I wasn’t up to helping more because I am a cat. But I didn’t feel right about that. Just because someone says they don’t think you can do something doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, right? We don’t have to be what someone else says we are. I wanted to prove Lobbus wrong. When you left I wondered if a cat really could do more to help. I realised that the only way to know for sure was to try to test myself, even if I have to cope somehow with the salty water,’ said Catvinkle.

‘What salty water?’

‘The salty water in my eyes,’ replied Catvinkle. ‘It just kept coming and coming like never before. I wanted to be with you either at home or trying to win back the children’s ball. I thought that if Grayston did anything wrong to you I would never, ever forgive myself – and I normally forgive myself several times a day.’

Catvinkle’s tail stopped spinning and she flopped down on Ula’s back and started breathing in the scent of her fur.

‘You don’t mind, do you? Mmmm, that musk is so good!’ said Catvinkle. ‘I realised while you were gone that I was desperate for some of my best friend’s high quality musk. So with all of this in mind, I decided to try to fly further than I’ve ever flown before to find you. Now my tail is tired from keeping my big red bow spinning like a helicopter propeller. So tired! I’m so tired that I forgot the other thing I really wanted to tell you. Now what was it?’

‘Gee, I’m not sure, Catvinkle. I find it hard enough to remember things I’ve forgotten. I’ll never remember something you’ve forgotten.’

‘Let’s see,’ said Catvinkle, trying to remember. ‘I was flying … my tail was getting tired and sore … I saw you from way up in the air, started to lower myself down and … Oh yeah! I saw the ball. It’s in the house with Grayston’s puppies. Who knew that a dog as scary as Grayston would have puppies?’

‘You found the ball?!’ cried Ula. Unfortunately, in her excitement, she forgot to speak quietly, and Grayston heard her loud bark.

Grayston came bounding at them from around the corner. His huge grey paws were going very fast along the muddy ground and froth was coming out of his mouth as though there was a cappuccino machine in his stomach that had exploded.

‘Woof! Woof!’ Grayston shouted. ‘Woof, and I mean that in a terribly angry and unfriendly manner.’

Ula could hear Lobbus calling from around the corner. ‘Wait, Mr Grayston, we haven’t finished our negotiations. You could play on and win a car!’

‘Quick,’ Catvinkle whispered to Ula. ‘Go inside the house through that doggie door and get the ball. I’ll distract Grayston!’

‘No, it’s too dangerous for you to stay here, Catvinkle. You’re a little cat!’ cried Ula.

‘No, you go, Ulee. I can handle Grayston.’