“I would give the value of all your cargo to get rid of these rats,” said the king to the captain.
Now the captain thought of Dick’s cat, and told the king he had a rat-catching animal on board the ship that he would lend him.
“I will load your ship with gold if you will give me such a beast,” answered the king eagerly. So the captain brought out Dick’s cat and he began to chase the rats and catch them by the neck and shake them to death until he had a pile of them as big as a barrel. It was great fun for the king to see the cat killing the rats so fast. He then gave the captain a great store of gold and precious stones in exchange for the cat.
The ship sailed home and the captain brought the money for the cargo, and for the things that the servants had sent, and last of all told about Dick’s cat and showed the great box of gold and precious stones.
Dick was now a well grown and strong young man. Mr. Fitzwarren was surprised how well he appeared before him, and said:
“This is all for you, Dick, every penny of it. You are now a young man and a very fine looking one, too,” and he handed him the key to the box of gold and jewels. “And,” added Mr. Fitzwarren, “I see in you a great merchant some day.” Dick bowed low to the merchant and then turned to his daughter and said:
“Mistress Alice, you have been very kind to me, and some day I should like to make you my wife.”
And so it all happened. Dick became the Lord Mayor of London, just as the Bow Bells said he would be, and he married Mistress Alice and they lived very happy in the palace for many years. The best part of it all is that the most of this story is true.