When Tom's new foster-father asked why they called the boy a little criminal, Tom explained that his misdeeds always started like little acorns that snowballed into mighty monsters. It would start with such a little thing, such as the scratchy label on Mr Clayton's jumper, leading to another thing and finally landing Mrs Clayton in police custody. Tom might well have lost his best-ever foster-parents for good, had it not been for Roebuck the cat and the fact that Miss Nile the welfare lady had a feline allergy. Maybe she didn't really kick the cat, but her guilt over it makes her more tolerant than usual. When Tom is allowed to stay, the Claytons learn something that the boy has known for a long time: that tiny acorns can snowball into mighty monsters ...
