_He is a wise boy that obeys the bells calling him back to his work
and his destiny._
Dick packed his bundle and set out to seek his fortune. He left
early in the morning and wandered into the fields and sat down to
rest. Just then the Bow Bells, that is the bells in the church in
Bow Street, began to ring. Dick fancied they said to him:
“Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London!”
Indeed he was so sure of it that he rose from his seat on the
ground and went straight back to the merchant’s house, and took up
work again. But all day he thought he could hear the bell calling
him.
The ship which carried Dick’s cat had sailed long ago, and was
driven by storms to the Barbary coast. This was a new place for a
ship to come to, and the people gladly bought all the wares that
the ship had to sell. Then the king invited the captain to dine
with him. The dinner was spread on the ground, and everybody sat
around cross-legged to eat. But the rats came in crowds and ran
over the table and carried away the food.
“I would give the value of all your cargo to get rid of these
rats,” said the king to the captain.
Now the captain thought of Dick’s cat, and told the king he had a
rat-catching animal on board the ship that he would lend him.
“I will load your ship with gold if you will give me such a beast,”
answered the king eagerly. So the captain brought out Dick’s cat
and he began to chase the rats and catch them by the neck and
shake them to death until he had a pile of them as big as a barrel.
It was great fun for the king to see the cat killing the rats so
fast. He then gave the captain a great store of gold and precious
stones in exchange for the cat.
The ship sailed home and the captain brought the money for the
cargo, and for the things that the servants had sent, and last of
all told about Dick’s cat and showed the great box of gold and
precious stones.
Dick was now a well grown and strong young man. Mr. Fitzwarren was
surprised how well he appeared before him, and said:
“This is all for you, Dick, every penny of it. You are now a young
man and a very fine looking one, too,” and he handed him the key to
the box of gold and jewels. “And,” added Mr. Fitzwarren, “I see in
you a great merchant some day.” Dick bowed low to the merchant and
then turned to his daughter and said:
“Mistress Alice, you have been very kind to me, and some day I
should like to make you my wife.”
And so it all happened. Dick became the Lord Mayor of London, just
as the Bow Bells said he would be, and he married Mistress Alice
and they lived very happy in the palace for many years. The best
part of it all is that the most of this story is true.