Boy: Hi, Samantha, good book?
Girl: Oh, this. It's a lovely book. It's about a man and his friend Bob.
Boy: OK.
Girl: Bob's a cat.
Boy: A man and his friend … a cat? I don't think I'd find that very interesting.
Girl: Well, I'm not sure. It's a really interesting story, you know. About this guy – his name's James Bowen. He is, or was, a street musician in London, you know, the kind of person who sits on a street corner, playing his guitar, hoping to get a bit of money so he can buy food, and survive, you know.
Boy: OK, and where does the cat come in?
Girl: Well, one day James Bowen was out on the streets playing his guitar, you know, and then he saw this cat. The cat was a bit injured erm it had a problem with one leg, and seemed hungry and not in a very good condition. Anyway, when James got on the erm the underground to go home that day, the cat followed him. So James took it home and gave it food, and called it Bob. And, Bob never left him again.
Boy: Really?
Girl: That's right. So the street musician and his cat became best friends, you know. And he says that the cat changed his life, really.
Boy: Changed his life? How can a cat change a man's life?
Girl: Well, the guy wasn't very happy. He had no money, and no real hope, you know, for the future. Then when people saw him, they became interested in the street musician and his cat, you know. So more people stopped, listened to his music, and gave him a bit of money. And finally James Bowen decided to write a book about his friendship with the cat, and how his life changed because of it. And that's the book I'm reading, A Street Cat Named Bob.
Boy: That is an interesting story. Is it a successful book?
Girl: You bet. I've forgotten the exact number now, but I think about one million
people bought the book. And they are maybe making a film about the man and
his friend, the cat. They are both very famous now.
Boy: Wow. That's just amazing. You know, I'm not normally interested in
animal stories, but I think I'd like to read this book too.
Girl: No problem. You can have it as soon as I finish it.
Boy: Oh, Samantha, I've got to go.
Girl: Where are you going?
Boy: I'm going to look for a new friend. A cat!
