Dan was in a loud mood.

He was playing a game he liked to call ‘BANG BANG BOO’. This mostly meant trying to scare his brother, Pete, who was trying to feed his pet mice.

Pete was not in a loud mood. Pete was in a ‘let’s tell tales on Dan’ mood.

‘MUM, Dan is being silly,’ said Pete.

After Dan had shouted in Pete’s ear and Pete had told Mum for the fifth time, it was Dan’s Mum’s turn to shout.

‘DAN, GO AND PLAY.’

Dan’s sister, May, said, ‘come on Dan, let’s go outside.’ That sounded like a good idea. May was always fun, even when Mum was tired or Pete was being… Pete.

‘Put your coat on,’ called Mum. Dan didn’t like wearing coats. Even if it was raining cats and dogs (that was what his Mum called raining really hard) he would grumble before putting on a coat.

‘My coat ripped,’ he grumbled. ‘I told you that last week.’

He had but Mum had been busy. She looked at Dan. ‘Wait a minute,’ she said.

Dan’s Mum rummaged through the pile of washing she had been folding. ‘I think I have something…’ she said. ‘Here it is.’

In her hands, Dan’s Mum held a large, raggedy green coat with a big flowery pocket sewn on one side. ‘I was going to give it to the charity shop. It used to be Pete’s.’

Pete laughed. Dan shouted so close to Pete’s ear that Pete jumped and almost dropped the mouse cage. ‘MUM,’ I can’t wear that. It’s horrible.’

Mum sighed. ‘Dan, it will have to do for now.’

Dan was not going to wear Pete’s old coat. ‘It’s a horrible colour, a horrible size and it has a horrible pocket. I am not wearing that.’

Two minutes later, Dan was wearing the coat.

‘I made that pocket, thank you very much,’ said Mum. ‘And I think I did a very neat job.’

It wasn’t a very neat job but it did cover up a large hole which Pete had somehow or other managed to make.

Dan stuck one hand in the ugly big pocket and May took hold of the other one.

‘Come on,’ said May. ‘Let’s play.’

Pete laughed. ‘Go out and play, pocket boy,’ he said.

Dan dug deep in his pocket, hoping to find something he could throw at Pete. ‘I’ve got something for you,’ he said.

And he did.

Sort of.

Dan threw a ball of string at Pete.

It was a large and quite hard ball of string.

Pete caught the string. The mouse cage fell. Three white mice ran across the living room floor.

Pete was shocked.

May was stunned.

Dan was surprised. He had thought the pocket would be empty.

Mum was neither shocked, stunned or surprised. But she was quite stern. ‘DAN,’ she said.

‘MUM,’ said Pete, ‘the mice.’ Pete pointed to the empty cage. ‘They have escaped.’

That had done it. So much for playing outside with May.

What a pocket, Dan thought. What a very special pocket. And if it had happened once, perhaps it could happen again.

‘Don’t worry, Mum,’ he said, ‘I’ve got just the thing.’

And he did.

Sort of.

Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out…

…a BONE.

Pete, the worst big brother a boy could have, said, ‘That’s no use,’ and chased his mice through the front door, carrying their cage with him.

May, the best big sister a boy could have, said, ‘Eww Dan, that’s horrible,’ as she ran through the front door after Pete.

Mum, the most tired mum a boy could have, said, ‘DAN,’ and ran through the front door after May.

Dan chased his mum who was chasing May who was chasing Pete who had run out through the front door after his mice. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’ve got just the thing.’

And he did.

Sort of.

Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out…

…THREE CATS.

Dan was amazed.

The three cats ran after the mice.

The cats raced past Mum who leapt out of the way and shouted, ‘DAN.’

The cats raced past May who jumped out of the way and shouted, ‘A CAT?.’

The cats raced past Pete who almost dropped the cage as he shouted, ‘Don’t let the cats catch my mice.’

Dan tried to catch up. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’ve got just the thing.’

And he did.

Sort of.

Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out…

…a DOG.

Dan was astounded.

The dog saw the cats chasing the mice and ran down the street to join in.

The dog bounced past Mum who spun as she ran down the street and shouted, ‘DAN.’

The dog bounced past May who skipped out of the way as she ran down the street and shouted, ‘A DOG?’

The dog bounced past Pete who tripped over his feet as he ran down the street and shouted, ‘Don’t let the dog or the cats catch my mice.’

Dan tried to catch up. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’ve got just the thing.’

But he didn’t have time to reach into his pocket because Mum had reached May and May had reached Pete and Pete had reached the dog and the dog had reached the cats and the cats had reached the mice who stood frozen in terror at the end of the street.

Dan caught up.

The cats meowed. The dog barked and Mum, May and Pete shouted ‘DAN.’

‘Don’t worry,’ said Dan. ‘We’ve got just the things.’

He took hold of the cage and put it near the mice who ran from the cats to safety.

He took hold of the string and threw it to the cats who all pounced and began to play.

He dropped the bone in front of the dog who sat down to chew it to bits.

Dan was pleased.

‘DAN,’ said Mum.

‘Yes, Mum,’ said Dan.

‘Let’s see if I can find you a new coat.’

Dan looked down at the raggedy, old coat with the flowery pocket. ‘That’s ok, Mum,’ he said. ‘I quite like this one now.’

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Illustration courtesy of, and copyright, Suzanne Henderson. Follow her on Twitter.