informed of it, and then she took compassion on the poor boy, and
made the servants treat him kindly.

Besides the crossness of the cook, Whittington had another difficulty to
get over before he could be happy. He had, by order of his master, a
flock-bed placed for him in a garret, where there were such a number of
rats and mice that often ran over the poor boy's nose and disturbed him
in his sleep. After some time, however, a gentleman, who came to his
master's house, gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes. This
he put into his pocket, being determined to lay it out to the best
advantage; and the next day, seeing a woman in the street with a cat
under her arm, he ran up to know the price of it. The woman (as the cat
was a good mouser) asked a deal of money for it, but on Whittington's
telling her he had but a penny in the world, and that he wanted a cat
sadly, she let him have it.

This cat Whittington concealed in the garret, for fear she should be
beat about by his mortal enemy the cook, and here she soon killed or
frightened away the rats and mice, so that the poor boy could now sleep
as sound as a top.

Soon after this the merchant, who had a ship ready to sail, called for
his servants, as his custom was, in order that each of them might
venture something to try their luck; and whatever they sent was to pay
neither freight nor custom, for he thought justly that God Almighty
would bless him the more for his readiness to let the poor partake of
his fortune. "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord, who will
return it seventy-fold."

All the servants appeared but poor Whittington, who, having neither
money nor goods, could not think of sending anything to try his luck;
but his good friend Miss Alice, thinking his poverty kept him away,
ordered him to be called.

She then offered to lay down something for him, but the merchant told
his daughter that would not do, it must be something of his own. Upon
which poor Whittington said he had nothing but a cat which he bought for
a penny that was given him. "Fetch thy cat, boy," said the merchant,
"and send her." Whittington brought poor puss and delivered her to the
captain, with tears in his eyes, for he said he should now be disturbed
by the rats and mice as much as ever. All the company laughed at the
adventure but Miss Alice, who pitied the poor boy, and gave him
something to buy another cat.

While puss was beating the billows at sea, poor Whitting