Late one evening the Tear Thief crept into a town The Tear Thief was invisible and carried a silvery waterproof sack on her back Only if you happened to look into a puddle as she was passing could you see what the Tear Thief looked like because a puddle was the one thing that showed her reflection The Tear Thief had short spiky white hair and big grey eyes She wore a handkerchief dress and silk slippers that made no sound as she walked
The Tear Thief came to a quiet road with a neat row of houses and flew into a tall tree there for a good look and a listen It was the hour between supper and bedtime All the curtained windows were flushed with light and enticing smells of soup and stew and pasta and onions the Tear Thief's favourite and rhubarb crumble were drifting up and away into the deepening dusk The Tear Thief listened hard with sharp ears Boo hoo hoo crying A child was
