DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
Part One
Some of the greatest men in the world have started from humble beginnings.
Dick Whittington had been brought up in a poorhouse. He did not even know who his parents were. He was so cruelly treated that he ran away, and started for London. On the way he met a man driving a cart and begged for a ride. The man told him that if he would rub down his horse at night he might ride and besides would earn his supper. And so they came into the great town of London.
Dick trudged for two whole days looking for work. At last he came to the house of a merchant in Leadenhall Street. The cook called out to him to “Go away, or I’ll kick you away.” And then poor Dick crept away and lay down on the ground, for he was weak from hunger. The merchant himself came home and saw Dick lying on the ground and told him to get up and move away. Dick got up and fell down again from weakness. Mr. Fitzwarren, the merchant, saw that Dick was sick and weak and took pity on him. He brought him into the house and bade the servant look after him. Dick had a room in the garret and was made to help the cook.
“Look sharp! Wash all the pans, make the fires, and do all the work around the kitchen, or I shall beat you with my ladle,” said the cook. The only comfort Dick had was the kindness of his master’s daughter. Her father had told her about him, and she sent for him and heard all his story.
“You poor little boy!” said she. “I am sure you can be very useful.”
Dick lived in the garret and the rats ran all over him at night. If only he had a cat to catch the rats, he thought he might be better off. One day a friend of the merchant’s gave Dick a penny for blacking his shoes. That day he met an old woman on the street with a cat under her arm.
“I will give you a penny for your cat,” said Dick, and the old woman sold him the cat. Before long the cat had caught all the rats in the garret and Dick could sleep in peace.