There was once a little boy whose name was Richard Whittington, but everyone called him Dick. His father and mother had died when he was only a baby, and the people who had the care of him were very poor. Dick was not old enough to work, and so he had a hard time of it. Indeed, sometimes he had no breakfast and sometimes he had no dinner. He was glad if he would get a crust of bread or a drop of milk at any time.
Now in the town where Dick Lived, people like to talk about London. While none of them had ever been to London, but somehow, everyone knew of all the wonderful things there. They said that all the folks who lived in London were fine gentlemen and ladies. People in London were always singing and playing music there all day long. Nobody was ever hungry there, and nobody had to work, and that London had streets paved with Gold. Dick, listen to these stories and wish that he could go to London.
One day a big wagon drawn by eight horses. All the bells in their heads drove into the little town. Dick saw the wagons standing by the end of the road, and he thought that it must be going to the fine city of London. When the driver came out and was ready to start, the lad went up and asked him if he might walk by the side of the wagon. The driver asked him some questions. And when he learned how poor Dick was and had no father or mother, he told him that he might do as he likes. It was a long walk for the little lad, but by and by, he came to the city of London. Dick was in such a hurry to see the wonderful sights that he forgot to thank the driver of the wagon. He ran as fast as he could from one street to another, trying to find those Gold paved streets. He had once seen a piece of money that was Gold, and he knew that it would be good to fetch a great many things. But now, he thought only if he could get only a little bit of the pavement, he would have everything that he ever wanted. Poor Dick, he was so tired that he couldn't run any further, and It was growing dark, and there was only dirt in every street instead of Gold.
He sat down in a dark corner and cried himself to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he was starving, but there was not even a crust of bread that he could manage for him to eat. He forgot all about the golden pavements and thought only of food as he walked about from one street to another. At last, he was so hungry that he began to ask all those he meant to give him a penny to buy something to eat. "Go to work, you idle fellow", said some of them, and the rest passed him without even looking at him. I wish I could go to work, said Dick. By and by, Dick grew so faint and tired that he could go no further. He sat down by the door of a fine house and wished that he was back again in the little town where he was born. The fine house's cook maid, who was getting dinner ready, saw him and called out to him. "What are you doing there, you little beggar? If you don't get away quick, I'll throw a pan full of hot dishwater over you. Then I guess you will jump." No sooner had the maid said what she had said, the master of the house, whose name was Mr Fitz Warren, came home for dinner. When he saw the ragged little fellow at his door, he said, "My Lad, what are you doing here?" "I am afraid you are a lazy fellow and that you want to live without work."
"No, indeed", said Dick. "I would like to work if I could find anything to do. But I do not know anybody in this town, and I have not had anything to eat for a long time." "Poor little fellow", said Fitz Warren, "Come in, and I will see what I can do for you." And he ordered the cook maid to give the lad a good dinner and then find some light work for him to do. Little Dick would have been very happy in the new home, which he had thus found. If it had not been for the cross cook, she would often say, "You are my boy now, and so you must do as I tell you. Look sharp there. Make the fire, carry off the ashes, wash the dishes, sweep the floor, bring in the wood. Oh, what a lazy fellow you are." And then she would box or beat him with a broomstick.
At last, little Alice, the master's daughter, saw the way the Cook maid was treating dick. She told the cook that she will do with it if she wasn't kinder to the lad. After that, Dick had an easier time of it. But his troubles were not over yet, by any means. Dicks bed was in a garret at the top of the house, far away from the rooms where the other people slept. There were many holes in the floor and walls, and every night a great number of rats and mice came in. They tormented Dick so much that he did not know what to do. One day, a gentleman gave him a penny for cleaning his shoes. Dick made up his mind that he would buy a cat within it. The very next morning. He met a girl who was carrying a cat in her arms. "I will give you a penny for that cat", Dick said, "All right", the girl said, "You may have her, and you will find that she's good for a mouse or two". So Dick hid his cat in the garret. And every day, he carried a part of his dinner to her. It was not long before she had driven all the rats and mice away, and then Dick could sleep well every night.
Sometime after, a ship that belonged to Mr Fitz Warren was about to start its voyage across the sea. Loaded with goods for trade-in lands far, far away. Mr Fritz Warren wanted to give his servants a chance for good fortune, too. So he called them into the parlour and asked if they had anything they would like to send out in the ship for trade. Everyone had something to send, everyone but Dick, as he had neither money nor any goods to send. So he sat in the kitchen and did not come in with the parlour. Little Alice guessed why he did not come in. So she said to her, Papa, "Dick ought to have a chance too" "here's some money out of my purse that you may put in for him." "No, no, my child", said Mr Fitz Warren. "He must risk something of his own". And then he called very loud. "Here, Dick. What are you going to send out on the ship?" Dick heard him and came into the parlour. "I have nothing in the world, he said. But a cat which I bought some time ago for a penny. "Fetched your Captain lad", said Mr Fitz Warren, "and let her go out, who knows but that she will bring you some profit, Dick" With tears in his eyes, Dick carried the 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. After that, the cook maid was worse than before. She made fun of him for sending his cat to the sea. "Do you think", she would say ", that puss would 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.
Very early in the morning on All Hallows Day, he started walking as far as Holloway's place. And there he sat down on a stone, which is to this day called Whittington Stone. As he sat there, very sad, wondering which way he should go. He heard the church bells far away, ringing out a merry tune. He listened. They seemed to say to him, Turn again. Whittington thrice Lord Mayor of London. Well, well, he said to himself, I will put up with almost anything to be Lord Mayor of London. When I am a man and ride in the fine coach, I will go back and let the old cook maid cough and scold me as much as she pleases. So Dick did go back, and he was lucky enough to get into the kitchen in time. He set about his work before the cook came downstairs to make breakfast.
Mr Fritz Warren's ship made a long voyage and, at last, reached a strange land on the other side of the sea. The people there had never seen any white men before. They came in great crowds to buy the finer things which the ship had brought.
The captain wanted very much to trade with the king of the country, And it was not long before the King sent a word for him to come to the palace and see him. The captain agreed, and he was taken to a beautiful room. And given a seat on a rich carpet, all flowered with silver and Gold. The king and queen were seated, not far away, and soon many dishes were brought in for dinner. They had hardly begun to eat when an army of rats and mice rushed in. They devoured all the meal before anyone could hinder them. The captain wondered at this and asked if it was not very unpleasant to have so many rats and mice. "Oh, yes, was the answer. It is indeed unpleasant". The king would give half his treasure if he could get rid of all the rat and mice, and then the Captain jump with joy as he remembered the Cat, which little Wittington had sent out. He told the king that he had a little creature on board his ship, which would make short work of the pest. Then it was the king's turn to jump with joy, and he jumped so high that his yellow cap or turban dropped off his head. "Bring the creature to me," said the king. "If she will do what you say, I will load your ship of gold".
The captain made the king believe that he would be very sorry to part with the Cat, but at last, he went down to the ship to get her. At the same time, the King and Queen made haste to have another dinner made ready. The captain, with puss under his arms, reach the palace. Only to see the table crowded with rats. The Captain let puss down upon them. And Oh, what havoc did she make among the troublesome creatures? Most of them were soon stretched out upon the floor. While the rest scampered away to their holes and did not dare come out again. The King had never been so glad in his life. The Queen asked for the creature which had done such excellent worker bee brought to her. The captain called, "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy”, and the Cat came up and rubbed against his legs. He picked her up and offered her to the Queen, but the queen was afraid to touch her first. The Captain stroked the Cat and called, "Pussy, pussy, pussy," and then the queen ventured to touch her.
She could only say "putty, putty, putty," for she has not learned to talk in English. The captain then put the Cat down in the Queen's lap, where she purred and purred until she went to sleep. The King would not have missed getting the Cat now for the world. He had made a bargain with the captain for all the goods on board the ship. He gave him ten times as much for the Cat as all the rest came to. The captain was very glad he made the king and queen goodbye, and the very next day, he set sail for England.
One morning, Mr Fritz Warren was sitting at his desk in his office. He heard someone tap at his door and said. "Who's there?" "A friend" was the answer. "I have come to bring you news of your ship unicorn." Mr Fitz Warren jumped up and opened the door. Whom should he see waiting there? But the captain with a sack of Gold in one hand and a box of jewels and the other. He was so full of joy that he lifted his eyes and thanked heaven for sending him such a good fortune. The captain's son told the story of the Cat. He then showed the rich present which the King and Queen had sent for poor Dick as payment for the Cat. As soon as Mr Fitz Warren heard this, he called out to his servants, Go send him in and call him by his name Mr Whittington. Some of the men who stood by said that so great a present ought not to be given to a mere boy. Mr Fritz Warren frowned upon them. It is his own, he said, and I will not hold back one penny from him. Dick was carrying the pots when he was called to the office. “Oh, I am so dirty,” he said. “And my shoes are full of hobnail.” But he was told to make haste. Mr Fritz Warren ordered a chair to be set for him, and then the lad began to think that they were making fun of him. "I beg that you won't play tricks for the poor boy like me," he said. "Please let me go back to my work,"
"Mr Whittington," said Mr Fritz Warren, "this is no joke at all." "The captain has sold your cat and has brought you in return for her more riches than I have in the whole world." Then he opened the box of jewels and showered Dick with his treasury. The poor boy did not know what to do. He begged his master to take a part of it. But Mr Fritz Warren said, "No, it is all your own, and I am sure that you will make good use of it." Dick then offered some of his jewels to his mistress and little Alice. They thanked him and told him that they felt great joy at his good luck but wished him to keep his riches for himself. But he was too kind-hearted to keep everything for himself. He then gave nice presents to the captain and the sailors and Mr Fritz Warren's house servants. He even remembered the cross cock Maid.
After that, Whittington had bathed, and his hair brushed, and he dressed in a nice suit. He turned into a handsome, as a young man as ever walked the streets of London. Soon, sometime after that, there was a fine wedding at the finest church in London. Miss Alice became the wife of Mr Richard Whittingto, and the Lord Mayor was there. And the great judges and the sheriffs and many rich merchants and everybody were very happy. And Richard Whittington became a great merchant and was one of the foremost men in London. He was sheriff of the city and thrice lord mayor of London, and King Henry the fifth made him a knight. He built the famous prison of Newgate in London. On the archway in front of the prison was a finger cut out of Sir Richard Whittington and his Cat's stone. And for 300 years, this figure was seen by all who visited London.
Stories Retold:- Original Source:- Marcia Brown
