while he sleeps."

The captain, who was ready to jump for joy, remembering poor
Whittington's hard case, and the cat he had intrusted to his care, told
him he had a creature on board his ship that would kill them all.

The king was still more overjoyed than the captain. "Bring this creature
to me," says he, "and if she can really perform what you say, I will
load your ship with wedges of gold in exchange for her." Away flew the
captain, while another dinner was providing, to the ship, and taking
puss under his arm, returned to the palace in time to see the table
covered with rats and mice, and the second dinner in a fair way to meet
with the same fate as the first.

The cat, at sight of them, did not wait for bidding, but sprang from the
captain's arms, and in a few moments laid the greater part of the rats
and mice dead at her feet, while the rest, in the greatest fright
imaginable, scampered away to their holes.

The king having seen and considered of the wonderful exploits of Mrs.
Puss, and being informed she would soon have young ones, which might in
time destroy all the rats and mice in the country, bargained with the
captain for his whole ship's cargo, and afterwards agreed to give a
prodigious quantity of wedges of gold, of still greater value, for the
cat; with which, after taking leave of their majesties, and other great
personages belonging to the court, he, with all his ship's company, set
sail, with a fair wind for England, and, after a happy voyage, arrived
safely in the port of London.

One morning, Mr. Fitzwarren had just entered his counting-house, and was
going to seat himself at the desk, when who should arrive but the
captain and the mate of the merchant-ship, the _Unicorn_, just arrived
from the coast of Barbary, and followed by several men, bringing with
them a prodigious quantity of wedges of gold that had been paid by the
King of Barbary in exchange for the merchandise, and also in exchange
for Mrs. Puss. Mr. Fitzwarren, the instant he heard the news, ordered
Whittington to be called, and having desired him to be seated, said,
"Mr. Whittington, most heartily do I rejoice in the news these gentlemen
have brought you; for the captain has sold your cat to the King of
Barbary, and brought you in return more riches than I possess in the
whole world; and may you long enjoy them."

Mr. Fitzwarren then desired the men to open the immense treasures they
had brought, and added that Mr. Whittington ha