[Illustration]
One day a man, by the name of Jack, came to see them. He was to go on
the sea in a big ship, to a far off land. He had come to say good-bye.
He said to them, "The land that the ship will sail to, is a far off
land, and the men who live in it are not like us, and do not know our
ways. They do not eat or wear what we do. Now what you give me I will
take with me, and sell it for you, and when I come back I will pay
you what I get for it. It may be that I will get much gold for it; for
the men in that far off land like what is made here, more than what
they have at home."
So the man and the girl were glad, and gave him much to sell for
them. Poor Dick sat, with his cat on his knee; a tear was in his eye,
for he too felt the wish to have some gold. The man saw him look sad,
and said, "Well, Dick, my son, and what will you send?" Dick wept. "I
have but my cat," said Dick. "Well, send that," said Jack; "it may be
she will sell for more than all the rest." They all had much fun at
this, and Dick had to join in. He took puss up in his arms. He gave
her a kiss and a pat on her head. He felt her soft fur. It was hard
for him to part with her, for she had been his pet for a long time.
But at last he set her down. He got a big bag. He put puss in it. She
did not like to be thus shut up, but Dick tied her in.
So the man took the bag in his arms, and went to his ship. When he
got to the ship, he let the cat out of the bag. She was glad to be
free once more, and ran to find Dick. But poor Dick was at home, sad;
for he knew that he had seen his puss for the last time.
The ship was full of rats and mice, and puss had a fine time. She made
them fly, and soon no more rats and mice were to be seen in the ship.
The men were glad to have the cat, and gave her food and milk, so that
she was well off.