Pip and the Humming Door

Pip the kitten was pawing at a door that hummed.

It was a small round door at the bottom of the garden wall. Every morning it made a soft sound, mmmmm, like a bee in a jar. Pip wanted to know what was behind it. She wanted to know more than she wanted her breakfast.

"Mmmmm," said the door.

"What are you?" said Pip. She pushed it with her nose. It did not open.

She pushed with her shoulder. She pushed with her whole back. Nothing happened, and she sat down with a bump.

Then Pip's ball rolled away. It was her red ball with the bell inside. It rolled along the wall, past the sleepy daisies, and stopped at a crack under the door. Plink. In it went.

"Oh no," said Pip. "My ball!"

She put one paw into the crack. She could feel the ball, but she could not get hold of it. It was too far.

Pip thought she should ask for help. Old Mr. Moss, the gardener, was watering the beans. But Pip wanted to do it herself. She tried her paw again. She tried her other paw. She tried her tail, which was very silly.

Then she stopped and listened.

"Mmmmm," said the door. And this time she heard something else under it. Jingle. It was her bell, and it was moving.

Pip put her ear to the crack. Something was pushing the ball back. Something small and busy was humming on the other side.

Pip knew what to do. She hummed back. "Mmmmm."

The humming stopped. Then, jingle, jingle, out came the red ball, rolling into the sun. A fat striped bumblebee came with it. She backed out of the crack, shook her fuzzy bottom, and zoomed away over the daisies.

"Oh," said Pip. "You live there."

She picked up her ball and sat by the little round door. It was warm from the sun. Behind it, someone hummed a very small song, and Pip hummed it back until her eyes closed.