Tom

When Tom’s future foster-father was curious why they called the boy a little criminal, Tom explained that his misdeeds always started like little acorns that snowballed into mighty monsters. It started with such a little thing, namely the scratchy label on Mr Clayton’s jumper, and with one thing leading to another it finally landed his wife in police custody. Tom might well have lost his best-ever foster-parents, had it not been for Roebuck the cat and the fact that Miss Nile the welfare lady was allergic to felines. Maybe she did not really kick the cat, but she was made to feel guilty enough to show more tolerance than usual. Tom is allowed to stay, and the Claytons have learned something that the boy had known for a long time: how tiny acorns can snowball into mighty monsters…