Where was¹ my spacesuit？

Eee-Eee found³ it up in a tree where another squirrel⁴ was living⁵ in it．Eee-Eee told the squirrel to get out of my spacesuit．

I was happy to wear the spacesuit．Hoo-Woo took⁶ me to the door where I first came⁷ in．

Hoo-Woo made⁸ his noise：'Hoo-woo！'as² I opened the door．He was sad that I was going．

I said，'I'm coming back，'and I went out to my spaceship．

I got¹¹ in and said，'Take me home．'

The stars changed suddenly．I saw¹³ my world in space，all green and beautiful．A few¹⁴ minutes later¹⁵ the spaceship landed¹⁷ and I was home．

My father ran¹⁸ from the house shouting，'Hummy！'

I kissed¹⁹ my father．

My mother was angry with me．'I didn't know if you were dead²¹ or alive！'she cried．'It's been a week！'

A week！It felt like months to me．

'I've got some very exciting news²³ for you，'I said．

'OK，'my mother said．'Let's sit in the theat and talk there．Oh yes，'she said¹⁰ to my father，'why don't you go to the house and bring us something to drink？'

Strange．Robots usually bring the drinks．But I just thought²⁵ my mother wanted to be specially²⁶ nice to me．

I told my mother what had²⁷ happened．When my father came with drinks，I told my story anain．

Telling my story，I looked at the green fields²⁸ of wheat²⁹ moving in the wind．The wheat went on for thousands of miles，looking just the same everywhere．

How different it was in the Star Zoo！Every time you turned your head， you saw something new．That had frightened³⁰ me at first but now I thought the Star Zoo was wonderful．

I explained³¹ that feeling³² to my parents．

'Yes，yes，Hummy，'my mother said，looking quickly at my father．

I saw a spaceship land¹⁶ near the house．'Who's coming？'I asked．

My mother and father looked at each other．Then I knew．

'It's Buff，isn't it？'I said．'You called him when you were getting the drinks！'I said to my father．I was really angry．'How could³³ you？Wait！You don't believe³⁴ me，do you？'

'Your head is full of dreams， Hummy，'my father said．'You must be married³⁷ to Buff，but only for a year．Then you can get married to someone³⁸ you like．'

I jumped up．'I hate³⁹ you！Why did²⁰ I come back？Why didn't I go straight⁴⁰ to the Star Council？'

Buff walked up to us．'Hello again，Kate，'he said．'I still remember the first name you told me．'

I had an idea．'Listen to what happened to me，'I said，and Itold my story a third time．

Buff laughed．' What a story！You can tell me stories like that every night．'

'So you don't believe me？'I smiled．

He just laughed．

'OK，Buff，'I said．'Come with me．I'll show you the Star Zoo．If it's only a story， I'll marry⁴² you． I'll even⁴³ get married for five years if you want．OK？'

'Why not？'Buff said．'I'll bring a robot to see what's really there．Robots never lie．'

Buff borrowed⁴⁴ one of our family robots and we took off．My father watched us go with a worried⁴⁶ face．

It was black in the empty space far between stars and we couldn't see anything．Buff was surprised⁴⁷ when we landed onthe Star Zoo．

We put on spacesuits and went out．Buff looked at the door，very surprised． We went in．

After we went through the second door，Buff stood⁴⁸ without moving and he looked at the trees and didn't say anything． The robot closed⁴⁹ the door behind us．

Hoo－Woo ran out of the trees to meet me． I was happy to see him and happy to be back in the Star Zoo again． I wasn't afraid at all．

I looked round at Buff and my heart⁵⁰ stopped．Buff's face was full of hate and he was holding a laser⁵¹ gun．The gun⁵² was pointing at Hoo－Woo．