is money in helping them, and the other half he put in
his pocket. From a rock that jutted right out into the sea he flung it
in. In a moment it was out of sight, and no man could have told the
spot where it had sunk, except for a tiny scrap of paper floating on
the water. He stretched down carefully and managed to reach it, and
on opening it found six shillings wrapped inside. This was now all the
money he had in the world.

The young man stood and looked at it thoughtfully. 'Well, I can't do
much with this,' he said to himself; but, after all, six shillings were
better than nothing, and he wrapped them up again and slipped them into
his coat.

He worked in his garden for the next few weeks, and he and his mother
contrived to live on the fruit and vegetables he got out of it, and then
she too died suddenly. The poor fellow felt very sad when he had laid
her in her grave, and with a heavy heart he wandered into the forest,
not knowing where he was going. By-and-by he began to get hungry, and
seeing a small hut in front of him, he knocked at the door and asked if
they could give him some milk. The old woman who opened it begged him
to come in, adding kindly, that if he wanted a night's lodging he might
have it without its costing him anything.

Two women and three men were at supper when he entered, and silently
made room for him to sit down by them. When he had eaten he began to
look about him, and was surprised to see an animal sitting by the fire
different from anything he had ever noticed before. It was grey in
colour, and not very big; but its eyes were large and very bright, and
it seemed to be singing in an odd way, quite unlike any animal in the
forest. 'What is the name of that strange little creature?' asked he.
And they answered, 'We call it a cat.'

'I should like to buy it--if it is not too dear,' said the young man;
'it would be company for me.' And they told him that he might have it
for six shillings, if he cared to give so much. The young man took out
his precious bit of paper, handed them the six shillings, and the next
morning bade them farewell, with the cat lying snugly in his cloak.

For the whole day they wandered through meadows and forests, till in the
evening they reached a house. The young fellow knocked at the door
and asked the old man who opened it if he could rest there that night,
adding that he had no money to pay for it. 'Then I must give it to you,'
answered the man, and led him in