A baby is abandoned on the doorstep of StMarys Maternity Ward at dawn, and the first person to spot the bundle is the nightshift caretaker, Uncle Jack. He rises before the sun, slips on his work boots and immediately patrols the grounds hes been entrusted with. Uncle Jack is diligent and takes his duties seriously a habit he carries over from his former career as an accountant. When he retired he couldnt bear to sit at home, so he took the nightwatch job not for the wage but because he needed something to do.
Seeing a cardboard box on the porch, Jack instantly guesses it holds a child, even though no sound comes from inside. He opens the lid, confirms his suspicion and hurries to bang on the maternity wards door. He prays silently that the infant is healthy, because the babys eerie stillness worries him. To the relief of both Jack and the hospital staff, the child is alive and fairly robust.
The incident occurs in the tiny English village of Littleford, one of those places where everybody knows everybody else, so locals quickly suspect who the mother might be. Their first guess falls on Poppy Larkin, a woman who has a baby almost every year and almost always hands the child over to the council. Poppy never registers her children and never attends prenatal appointments. After a thorough inquiry, however, the police confirm that Poppy had nothing to do with this particular abandonment.
The mother remains unidentified, and after the necessary examinations the baby is taken to the nearby Childrens Home just outside the village. As soon as the nurses lift the infant from the box, one of them exclaims, Look at that little watermelon! How could such a tiny tot end up on a doorstep like that? No one can explain the odd nickname, but throughout his stay at the home the staff affectionately call him Watermelon because hes a sprightly, healthy little fellow.
Later, Uncle Jack suggests a proper name for the boy. The staff settle on Harry, a name Jack proposes, but the nickname Watermelon sticks, and even the childrens home staff keep using it. Harrys stay at the home is brief; a foster family takes him in almost immediately. Everyone rejoices, especially MrsAllison Mathews, the matron of the home.
Three years later the foster family returns Harry to the childrens home, having welcomed their own baby and no longer needing him. By then he has grown into a thin, handsome, unusually clever boy. Its obvious the home has cared for him, yet no one can understand why the family let him go so easily. Watching him, the staff feel their hearts break. He cries often, calling for a mother, a father, a grandmother, staring out the window for hours, but no one ever appears.
Summer arrives and the children spend most of their days outside. Harry becomes more withdrawn. He stops waiting for anyone and trusts adults less. He also has trouble getting along with other kids, preferring to play alone in quiet corners. Then a stray cat appears and changes everything.
The cat, called Muckles, shows up at the childrens home about a year ago. Keeping a cat is strictly forbidden, so MrsMathews tries repeatedly to get rid of him. She hands him over to the local cook, Aunt Jane, who runs away and brings Muckles back to the home. Five attempts later, the cat returns each time with stubborn determination. Hes clever and sly; whenever Aunt Jane tries to take him home, he follows her to her workplace and, despite her orders not to let him out, he stages such a commotion that she has to release him onto the street. Because of his mischievous ways, Aunt Jane dubs him Muckles a nod to his habit of cheating the rules.
Eventually MrsMathews gives up on evicting him. The cat keeps to the rooftops, avoiding the children, but he forms an unlikely bond with Harry. After befriending Muckles, Harry opens up, becoming more sociable and friendly. Seeing this, MrsMathews sighs, places Muckles in a carrier and drives him to the veterinary clinic to confirm hes healthy. Once shes satisfied, she feels at ease.
Harry hardly notices Muckles brief absence, but the cat harbours a quiet grudge against MrsMathews and never lets her near his favourite perch again. Soon another family expresses interest in adopting Harry. During the meeting the prospective parents feel something is off and leave, promising to discuss the matter at home before returning for the boy. MrsMathews knows they wont come back, and indeed they dont. Harry stays where he is.
Life at the home continues much as before, except now Harry and Muckles are inseparable. The cat brings his new master tiny gifts, like a dead mouse, and Aunt Jane once scolded him with a broom for his bad behaviour, adding another enemy to his list.
Eventually a couple arrives to meet the boy. They already have a daughter but want to give a child from the home a chance at a better life, not because they cant have their own children but because they want to make an orphans life a little brighter. MrsMathews likes them instantly; they seem genuinely kind. Harry wins them over right away, and when they learn he was abandoned twice, they decide without hesitation that they must adopt him.
Harry feels an instant connection with his prospective parents, Tanya and Sergey. Soon Tanya, Sergey, and Sergeys parents arrive with Harry. Sergeys father is stunned when he recognises the boy as the very Watermelon he once found on the childrens home doorstep. Uncle Jack, still chuckling as he cradles Harry on his knees, says, Well, look at you, lad! Turns out weve known each other forever. I even gave you your name! They say the Lords ways are mysterious. So, Harry, youre my realgrandson now, a bit lost but dont worry time will set you straight! Harry doesnt understand the old mans ramblings, but he smiles and nods.
The other adults are speechless at the coincidence, yet all are delighted. As the group says goodbye to the hospital staff and heads for the car, Harry suddenly freezes and begins to weep. Tanya rushes to comfort him, unsure why hes upset. MrsMathews, watching them leave, explains that the tears are for Muckles, who sits a short distance away, watching his little owner with a mournful gaze.
That day, Tanya and Sergeys family grows by two members: a wonderful son and an equally wonderful cat.
