rats and mice, which
generally ran over his face, and made such a noise, that he sometimes
thought the walls were tumbling down about him.

One day a gentleman who paid a visit to Mr. Fitzwarren, happened to have
dirtied his shoes, and begged they might be cleaned. Dick took great
pains to make them shine, and the gentleman gave him a penny. This he
resolved to lay out in buying a cat, if possible; and the next day,
seeing a little girl with a cat under her arm, he went up to her, and
asked if she would let him have it for a penny; to which the girl
replied, she would with all her heart, for her mother had more cats than
she could maintain; adding, that the one she had was an excellent
mouser.

This cat Whittington hid in the garret, always taking care to carry her
a part of his dinner: and in a short time he had no further disturbance
from the rats and mice, but slept as sound as a top.

Soon after this, the merchant, who had a ship ready to sail, richly
laden, and thinking it but just that all his servants should have some
chance for good luck as well as himself, called them into the parlour,
and asked them what commodity they chose to send.

All mentioned something they were willing to venture but poor
Whittington, who, having no money nor goods, could send nothing at all,
for which reason he did not come in with the rest; but Miss Alice,
guessing what was the matter, ordered him to be called, and offered to
lay down some money for him from her own purse; but this, the merchant
observed, would not do, for it must be something of his own.

Upon this, poor Dick said he had nothing but a cat, which he bought for
a penny that was given him.

"Fetch thy cat, boy," says Mr. Fitzwarren, "and let her go."

Whittington brought poor puss, and delivered her to the captain with
tears in his eyes, for he said "He should now again be kept awake all
night by the rats and mice."

All the company laughed at the oddity of Whittington's adventure, and
Miss Alice, who felt the greatest pity for the poor boy, gave him some
halfpence to buy another cat. This, and several other marks of kindness
shown him by Miss Alice, made the ill-tempered cook so jealous of the
favours the poor boy received, that she began to use him more cruelly
than ever, and constantly made game of him for sending his cat to sea,
asking him if he thought it would sell for as much money as would buy a
halter.

At last, the unhappy little fellow, being unabl