“Fetch your cat, then, my lad,” said Mr. Fitzwarren, “and let her go out.  Who knows but that she will bring you some profit?”

Dick, with tears in his eyes, carried poor puss down to the ship, and gave her to the captain.  Everybody laughed at his queer venture; but little Alice felt sorry for him, and gave him money to buy another cat.

[Illustration]

After that, the cook was worse than before.  She made fun of him for sending his cat to sea.  “Do you think,” she would say, “that puss will sell for enough money to buy a stick to beat you?”

At last Dick could not stand her abuse any longer, and he made up his mind to go back to his old home in the little country town.  So, very early in the morning on All-hal-lows Day, he started.  He walked as far as the place called Hol-lo-way, and there he sat down on a stone, which to this day is called “Whit-ting-ton’s Stone.”

As he sat there very sad, and wondering which way he should go, he heard the bells on Bow Church, far away, ringing out a merry chime.  He listened.  They seemed to say to him,—­

     “Turn again, Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London.”

“Well, well!” he said to himself.  “I would put up with almost anything, to be Lord Mayor of London when I am a man, and to ride in a fine coach!  I think I will go back and let the old cook cuff and scold as much as she pleases.”

Dick did go back, and he was lucky enough to get into the kitchen, and set about his work, before the cook came down-stairs to get break-fast.

IV.  The cat.

Mr. Fitzwarren’s ship made a long voyage, and at last reached a strange land on the other side of the sea.  The people had never seen any white men before, and they came in great crowds to buy the fine things with which the ship was loaded.  The captain wanted very much to trade with the king of the country; and it was not long before the king sent word for him to come to the palace and see him.

The captain did so.  He was shown into a beautiful room, and given a seat on a rich carpet all flow-ered with silver and gold.  The king and queen were seated not far away; and soon a number of dishes were brought in for dinner.

They had hardly begun to eat when an army of rats and mice rushed in, and de-voured all the meat before any one could hinder them.  The captain wondered at this, and asked if it was not very un-pleas-ant to have so many rats and mice about.

“Oh, yes!” was the answer.  “It is indeed un-pleas-ant; and the king would give half his treas-ure if he could get rid of them.”

The captain jumped for joy.  He remembered the cat which little Whittington had sent out; and he told the king that he had a little creature on board his ship which would make short work of the pests.

Then it was the king’s turn to jump for joy; and he jumped so high, that his yellow cap, or turban, dropped off his head.