Dick Whittington and His Cat

Long ago in England, there was a poor boy named Dick Whittington. He had no home of his own, and he was often cold and hungry. Dick had heard that the streets of London were paved with gold, so he set off to find his fortune there. He walked for many days, until at last he reached the great city. But the streets were not made of gold at all, only mud and stones.

Tired and hungry, Dick sat down on the doorstep of a rich merchant named Mister Fitzwarren. The kind merchant took him in and gave him a job helping in the kitchen. Dick slept in a little room up in the attic, where lots of mice ran about at night. Squeak, scratch, squeak went the mice, and Dick could hardly sleep a wink. So with his very first penny, he bought a cat. The cat chased the mice away, and from then on Dick slept soundly.

One day, Mister Fitzwarren sent a ship across the sea to trade. “Everyone in my house may send something on my ship to sell,” he said. Dick had nothing but his cat, so he sadly sent her on the ship. Without the cat, the mice came back, and the grumpy cook scolded Dick all day long. At last, Dick felt so unhappy that he packed his bundle and left the house very early one morning.

As he walked away, the church bells of London began to ring. They seemed to sing, “Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London!” Dick stopped and listened, and then he turned around and went back.

Far across the sea, the ship had reached a land where the king had a big problem. His palace was full of mice, and they nibbled the food right off his royal plate. The sailors let Dick’s cat loose in the palace, and in no time the mice ran away. The king was so happy that he paid a whole chest of gold for the wonderful cat. He even sent Dick a fluffy little kitten, so that Dick would never be without a cat.

When the ship came home, Mister Fitzwarren gave all the gold to Dick. “It is yours, Dick, for it was your cat that earned it,” he said. Dick became a rich and kind man, and he always helped people who were poor and hungry. He married the merchant’s daughter, Alice, and later he became Lord Mayor of London, just as the bells had sung.