Chapter One

Jinx's itch

'That black and white cat is as daft as a brush!' Dad was looking out of the sitting room window. 'Look at it! he said. 'It's rubbing up against that lamp post like crazy! It must have an itch to scratch.' Dad turned his attention back to his newspaper.

Tom and Daisy were at the Window in a flash. They had a good idea which cat Dad was talking about. Sure enough, it was jinx.

The children know that jinx wasn't 'daft' at all. He was a remarkable cat. He could talk, for one thing. And it was jinx who had shown them the magic street lamp.

One of the street lamps on Genie street, Where Tom and Daisy lived, was as amazing as jinx. if you rubbed it in the right way, magical things happened.Daisy watched jinx closely. 'Look!' she whispered to Tom. 'He's doing the special rub!

Once up... once down... then three times round and round...

jinx finished his third circle round the lamp post. The children saw the street lamp blaze into life. A ball of purple light shot from the lamp and across the street. 'Did you see where it Went?'Whispered Daisy. 'Somewhere opposite the Shops!' Tom hissed back. 'Come on - let's go!' They hurried to the front door.

Chapter Two

A Parcel for Mr Chan

Tom and Daisy had just stepped outside when they heard a familiar voice. 'Hullo, Hullo! Look out, my young friends! Special Delivery coming through!' A man in a purple uniform came zooming towards them on rollerdes. He had a long parcel tucked under one arm.

'it's Mr mistry! said Daisy in delight. 'Stand clear!' cried the little man. 'Can't stop, bless my ears' He tossed the parcel to Tom as he zoomed past. Then he was gone.'Wow!' said Daisy. 'Talk about getting your skates on!' TOm looked at the label on the parcel.

'It's for Mr Chan,' said Tom. Mr Chan owned the garage at the end of Genie Street. He mended cars and vans. There was a car wash at his garage, too. The children hurried to chan's Autos - but there was no sign of Mr Chan anywhere. Then Daisy gave a sudden gasp. 'Tom! Look!'

Chapter Three

Buckle Up

The car wash machine was glowing purple. 'So that's what the street lamp's magic hit!' cried Tom. 'Look! It's moving!'

The car wash's big shaggy rollers were beginning to turn-slowly at first, then faster and faster. They began to foam with purple froth.

Someone had left an old camper van at the garage for Mr Chan to mend. The van' at the garage for mr chan mend. the van's doors suddenly sprang open. Tom and Daisy jumped back. jinx the cat was curled up on the front seat. 'Well?' he purred. 'Are you going to get in? Or just gawp?' The children looked at each other. They scrambled into the front of the van.

The camper van's doors slammed shut. Very slowly, the van began to roll forwards. 'What's happening, jinx?' asked Tom. jinx licked a paw. He wiped it lazily behind his right ear. 'Nothing to worry about,' he purred.' But I shout buckle up, all the same.' the children quickly fastened their seatbelts.

Chapter Four

Blast Off!

'Where are we?' said Daisy. The whole had turned topsy. The camper van was poiting straight upwards. The windscreen was filled with a view of clear blue sky. 'Er... I know this sounds silly,' said Tom, 'but I think we're on a launch pad!'

'Space?' said Daisy. 'So, we really are on a launch pad? You're going into outer space - in a camper van?' Mr Chan wriggled on to the seat next to her. 'Don't you worry about the .S.S. Vantatic!' he said. 'She's the finest rocketship in Lampland!' He began fiddling with the van's controls. There seemed to be quite a few new ones.

Mr Chan fastened himself in. 'Everyone comfy?' he asked cheerily. 'Super!' He flicked a switch. 'Launching in ten... nine... eight... seven... six...' 'No safety belt for me, then,' grumbled jinx. He gripped the seat with his claws. '...five... four... three...' Tom and Daisy braced themselves.

'...two... one...

BLAST OFF!'

There was a roar of rocket engines. Tom and Daisy were pinned in their seats as the sky. The rocket-Van climbed at an incredible speed. its flaming engines left a white cloud trail across the blue sky. Soon it had left the world far behind. its engines shut down. it began to drift in the blackness of space.

Chapter Five

Noom-rock

'We're now in orbit, 2,000 kilometres about Lampland!' said Mr Chan. He took a packet of biscuits from the glove compartment. 'Anyone for a ginger nut?' 'The stars look beautiful from up here!' murmured Daisy. 'And look at the Moon!' said Tom. 'It's so... pink!'

'That's not the moon,' purred jinx. 'It's the Noom.' 'Oh. Right. I see,' said Tom - who didn't really. 'But why the pinky colour? What's it made of?'

'The Noom?' jinx shook his head.'why, rock, of course!' Tom felt a bit silly for asking. He turned back to the view and thought he saw a dark shape move across it. He shivered. No it was nothing just his imagination.

'I've probable got some Noo,-rock got some Noom-rock you can have, actually,' said Mr Chan cheerily. He dug around in his pockets. 'I've been there often enough! Ah - here we are!' He handed something to each of the children. The Noom-rock was pink and white, and it felt sticky.

it had tiny red letters running through it.

'A star?' said Daisy. 'But shouldn't it be... shining?' 'Exactly!' cried Mr Chan. 'It isn't working!' His face clouded over. 'And I have a nasty hunch who - or rather what - put it out,' he muttered. Before Daisy could ask what he meant, he began rooting about in the back of the van. 'Anyway, it's our mission to fix it' he said. 'We'll need my starlighter! but where is the blasted thing?'

'What does it look like?' asked Daisy. 'It's sort of long,' said Mr Chan, still searching frantically, 'And thin.' 'Ahem!hem!' jinx cleared his throat. 'Got a hairball stuck?'

asked Tom.

jinx scowled. He was resting his paw on something. it was the special Delivery parcel. it was long and thin.

Tom quickly gave the parcel to Mr Chan, who unwrapped it 'A brand-new starlighter!'he cried. 'Marvellous! just the job!' He grabbed some space helmets from the back of the van. Daisy helped jinx put his on.

Mr Chan slid back the sunroof. They climbed out into deep space.

Chapter Seven

Snuffa Attack

Mr Chan pointed to the star. 'I'll need to get quite close!' he told tom and Daisy. They got ready to push off from the rocket-van's roof. Then suddenly something large and shadowy whooshed past them. Tom shivered again. 'What was that?' he said.

A huge creature was floating nearby. it was watching them with alien eyes. It didn't look very friendkt!'I know it!' cried Mr Chan.He looked very pale.'It's a Snuffa! They've put out quite a few stars latley! They feed on light energy, you see! Amjong other things.' 'Er... what other things?' croaked Tom.Mr Chan gulped. 'The odd space visitor... or two.'

'It's moving closer!' cried Daisy/'it wants to eat us!' Suddenly, a fiery white ball shot from behind the s.s. Vantastic. It streaked across the darkness, leaving a trail of light. A shooting star! The Snuffa's eyes fixed on it greedily. With a monstrous roar, it turned and raced away, chasing the star.

Chapter Eight

Down to Earth

'Phew! said Tom. 'Now! I know why they say shooting stars are lucky!' 'That was close!' said Mr Chan. He pulled himself together. 'But back to the mission! We have a star to fix!, They drifted over to the heart of the star. Mr Chan reached out with his starlighter.

'Now would be a good time to close your eyes,' said jinx. There was an explosion of light as the star lit up. Even with their eyes shut, the children were dazzled by the glare. Then almost as suddenly the light faded away. 'Oh dear!' said Daisy. 'Has it gone out again?' She opened her eyes. mr Chan wasn't there. Nor was jinx. Nor were the stars, or the Noom, or the S.S. vantastic.

Tom and Daisy were back outside Chan's Autos. They looked at the rusty old camper van. They looked at the silent, still car wash. Tom put his hand in his pocket. He pulled out the souvenir Mr Chan had given him. Genuine Noom-rock. Tom smiled at Daisy. She frinned back. Together, they set off for home.

Chapter One

A Cat Comes Calling

The doorbell rang. Tom and Daisy were in the sitting room, playing Snap! Dad was in the kitchen. He had just started cooking tea. it smelled like one of his deadly curries. Mum was still at work. 'Can you get that, please?' yelled Dad. 'Okay!' Daisy called back.

Tom and Daisy went to the front door. There was nobody there. Daisy was about to close the door, when 'Ahem! Down here!' purred a rather cross voice. 'Oh, hello, jinx!' said Tom. 'How you ring the doorbell?' 'Never mind that,' said jinx. 'You must come with me, right away. You're needed in Lampland!'

Tom and Daisy had visited Lampland before. A magitc street lamp on their road had led them there. it was a secret, enchanted world. 'What do you mean, we're "needed'?' Daisy asked jinx. 'How do you know?' 'Animal instinct,' said jinx. 'I have a sixth sense. and a seventh. You need a few extras when you have nine lives. Now, come along!'

Jinx led them straight to the magic street lamp. 'I'll let you do the rubbing,' he purred.'if it isn't too much trouble, that is. I've just washed, you see.' 'No problem!' said Tom. He reached out to rub the lamp post with his hand. 'Once up... once down...' he chanted, 'then three times round and round...'

Chapter Two

A Visit to the Chemist's

The magic street lamp lit up. A ball of purple light burst from it, and shot through the air. it hit the door of the nearby Green Cross Chemist's shop. Tom and Daisy hurried to look. jinx prowled after them. And then some one else turned up, out of the blue-Bol-yol-yolng!

'Hello, hullo!' Tom and Daisy jumped in surprise. Mr Mistry had just landed right next to them. He was on a pogo stick. it was purple, to match his postman's uniform. 'Special Delivery for Miss Sylvester!' cried Mr Mistry. The-BOL-YOI-YOING!-he was gone again. Tom laughed. 'Where did he spring from?' he said.

A tiny parcel lay on the pavement. Daisy picked it up. She read the label. 'It's for miss Sylester, at the chemist's,' Daisy told Tol. 'Come on, then!' said Tom. They exchanged excited looks. The magic street lamp had chosen this door. THere was every chance it might lead to Lampland. It was time to find out.

'Look!' Tom hissed. 'I bet that's Miss Sylvester!' Someone was busy at a wooden workbench. Tom had seen her before - behind the counter of the chemist's shop. Miss Sylvester noticed them, too. She came over, smiling. 'Hello there!' she said. 'Where did you two pop up from?' But Tom and Daisy were too busy staring to reply.