The History Of Whittington

Dick Whittington was a very little boy when his father and mother died. He was so little, in fact, that he never knew his parents or the place where he was born. He wandered through the countryside, ragged as a stray kitten, until he met a wagon driver who was going to London.

The driver let him walk beside the wagon all the way without paying. This pleased little Whittington very much, for he wanted to see London badly. He had heard that the streets there were paved with gold, and he hoped to collect a whole bushel of it.

But what a disappointment, poor boy, when he saw the streets covered with dirt instead of gold, and found himself in a strange place without a friend, without food, and without money.

Though the wagon driver was kind enough to let him walk beside the wagon for free, he took care not to know him once they reached the city. Soon the poor boy was so cold and hungry that he wished he were back in the country, sitting in a warm kitchen by a good fire.

In his distress, he begged several people for help. One man told him, "Go to work, you idle rogue!" "That I will," said Whittington, "with all my heart! I will work for you if you will let me."

The man thought this was a cheeky answer, though the poor boy only meant to show he was ready to work. So the man hit him with a stick, cutting his head so that the blood ran down. Weak and faint from hunger, Whittington lay down at the door of a merchant named Mr. Fitzwarren. The cook saw him there and, being a mean woman, ordered him to go away or she would scald him. Just then Mr. Fitzwarren came home from the Exchange and also began to scold the poor boy, telling him to go to work.

Whittington answered that he would be glad to work if anyone would hire him, and that he could work if only he had something to eat. He had had nothing for three days, he said. He was a poor country boy and knew nobody, and nobody would hire him. He tried to stand up, but he was so weak that he fell down again. This touched the merchant's heart, and he ordered the servants to take the boy in, give him some food and drink, and let him help the cook with any dirty work she had for him.

People are too quick to call beggars lazy, but they do not try to find them work or consider whether they are able to do it. That is not true charity.

But let us return to Whittington. He could have been happy in this good family, if only the cook had not been so cross. She was always roasting and basting in the kitchen, and when the spit was idle, she used her hands on poor Whittington instead! At last Miss Alice, the merchant's daughter, heard about this and took pity on the poor boy. She made the other servants treat him kindly.

Besides the cook's cruelty, Whittington had another problem. By his master's orders, he slept on a lumpy bed in a garret full of rats and mice. They often ran over his nose and woke him up.

One day a gentleman who came to the house gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes. Whittington put the penny in his pocket, determined to spend it wisely. The next day he saw a woman in the street carrying a cat under her arm.

He ran up and asked how much she wanted for it. The woman asked a high price, because the cat was a good mouser. But when Whittington told her he had only one penny in the world, and that he badly needed a cat, she let him have it.

Whittington hid the cat in the garret, afraid that the cook would hurt her. Soon the cat killed or scared away all the rats and mice, so that the poor boy could sleep as soundly as a top.

Soon after this, the merchant had a ship ready to sail. As was his custom, he called all his servants together so that each could send something on the ship to try their luck. Whatever they sent would cost nothing for freight or customs, for he believed God would bless him for letting the poor share in his fortune.

All the servants came except poor Whittington. He had neither money nor goods to send. But his friend Miss Alice noticed he was missing and ordered him to be called. She offered to give him something to send, but her father said no, it had to be something of his own.

Then poor Whittington said he had nothing but a cat that he had bought for a penny. "Bring your cat, boy," said the merchant. "Send her." Whittington brought poor puss and gave her to the captain with tears in his eyes.

He said he would now be bothered by rats and mice again. Everyone laughed at the adventure except Miss Alice, who pitied the poor boy and gave him money to buy another cat.

While puss was sailing across the sea, poor Whittington was badly treated at home by the cruel cook. She used him so harshly and made so much fun of him for sending his cat to sea that at last he decided to run away. He packed his few things and set out early in the morning on All Hallows' Day. He walked as far as Holloway and sat down on a stone to think about what to do. While he was thinking, the bells of Bow Church began to ring. There were only six bells, but their sound seemed to say to him:

"Turn again, Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London."

"Lord Mayor of London!" he said to himself. "What wouldn't I endure to be Lord Mayor of London, and ride in such a fine coach! Well, I'll go back and bear all the beatings and bad treatment from Cicely rather than miss the chance of being Lord Mayor!" So he went home and got back to his work before Mrs. Cicely appeared.

Now we must follow Miss Puss to the coast of Africa. How dangerous are voyages at sea, how uncertain the winds and waves, and how many accidents can happen on a ship!

The ship that carried the cat was tossed about by storms for a long time, and at last was blown by contrary winds to a part of the Barbary coast inhabited by Moors unknown to the English.

The Moors welcomed the sailors politely, and the captain showed them the goods on board to trade. He sent some samples to the King of the country, who was so pleased that he invited the captain and the factor to come to his palace, about a mile from the shore.

There they were seated, as was the custom, on rich carpets embroidered with gold and silver. The King and Queen sat at the head of the room, and dinner was brought in on many dishes.

But no sooner were the dishes put down than an amazing number of rats and mice came from everywhere and ate all the meat in an instant.

The factor turned to the nobles in surprise and asked if these pests were not a problem. "Oh yes," they said. "Very much so. The King would give half his treasure to be rid of them. They not only ruin his dinner, as you see, but they attack him in his chamber, even in his bed. He has to be watched while he sleeps for fear of them."

The factor jumped for joy. He remembered poor Whittington and his cat. He told the King that he had a creature on the ship that would get rid of all these vermin right away. The King's heart leaped with joy at the news, and his turban fell off his head.

"Bring this creature to me," he said. "Vermin are terrible in a court. If she can do what you say, I will fill your ship with gold and jewels in exchange for her." The factor, who knew his business, used this chance to praise Miss Puss.

He told the King that it would be hard to part with her, for without her the rats and mice might destroy the goods on the ship. But to please His Majesty, he would fetch her. "Run, run!" said the Queen. "I am eager to see the dear creature."

The factor hurried away while another dinner was being prepared, and returned with the cat just as the rats and mice were eating that meal too. He set down Miss Puss, and she killed a great number of them.

The King was overjoyed to see his old enemies defeated by such a small creature. The Queen was also delighted and wanted the cat brought near so she could look at her. The factor called, "Pussy, pussy, pussy!" and the cat came to him.

He presented her to the Queen, who drew back at first, afraid to touch a creature that had killed so many rats and mice. But when the factor stroked the cat and called her, the Queen touched her too and cried, "Putty, putty!" for she had not learned English.

He then put the cat on the Queen's lap, where she purred, played with her Majesty's hand, and then sang herself to sleep.

The King, having seen what Miss Puss could do, and learning that her kittens would fill the whole country, bargained with the captain and factor for the entire ship's cargo. Then he gave them ten times as much for the cat as for all the rest. After that, they said goodbye to the King, Queen, and other important people at court, and sailed with a fair wind back to England.

Now we must follow them home. The morning had hardly dawned when Mr. Fitzwarren got up to count his money and settle the day's business. He had just entered his counting-house and sat down at his desk when someone came tap, tap at the door. "Who's there?" said Mr. Fitzwarren.

"A friend," answered the other. "What friend comes at this ungodly hour?" "A true friend is never ungodly," answered the other. "I bring good news of your ship, the Unicorn." The merchant jumped up so quickly that he forgot his gout.

He opened the door at once, and who should be waiting but the captain and the factor, carrying a cabinet of jewels and a bill of lading. The merchant lifted his eyes and thanked heaven for such a prosperous voyage.

Then they told him the adventures of the cat and showed him the cabinet of jewels they had brought for Mr. Whittington. At this he cried out with great earnestness:

"Go, send him in, and tell him of his fame, And call him Mr. Whittington by name."

It is not our job to criticize these lines; we are not critics, but historians. It is enough that they are Mr. Fitzwarren's words. Though we cannot prove he was a good poet, we will soon show that he was a good man, which is much better.

When some people present said that the treasure was too much for such a poor boy as Whittington, he said, "God forbid that I should take a penny from him. It is his own, and he shall have every bit of it." Then he ordered Mr. Whittington to come in.

Whittington was cleaning the kitchen at the time and tried to excuse himself, saying the room was swept and his shoes were dirty and full of hobnails. But the merchant made him come in and ordered a chair for him.

Whittington thought they were making fun of him, as the cook often did, and begged his master not to mock a poor simple fellow who meant no harm. The merchant took him by the hand and said, "Indeed, Mr. Whittington, I am serious.

I sent for you to congratulate you on your great success. Your cat has earned you more money than I am worth in the world. May you enjoy it and be happy!"

At last, when Whittington saw the treasure and was convinced it was all his, he fell on his knees and thanked God for caring for such a poor and miserable creature. Then he laid all the treasure at his master's feet, but Mr. Fitzwarren refused to take any of it.

He said he was happy for Whittington and hoped the wealth would bring him comfort and happiness. Whittington then offered the treasure to his mistress and to his good friend Miss Alice, but they too refused, saying they were glad for his success and wished him all happiness.

Then Whittington rewarded the captain, the factor, and the ship's crew for taking care of his cargo. He gave presents to all the servants in the house, not forgetting even his old enemy the cook, though she hardly deserved it.

After this, Mr. Fitzwarren advised Whittington to send for proper clothes and dress like a gentleman. He offered him a room in his house to live in until he could find a better place.

Now it happened that when Mr. Whittington's face was washed, his hair curled, and he was dressed in a fine suit of clothes, he turned out to be a handsome young man. Wealth helps to give a man confidence, and soon he lost his shy manner, which had come from feeling down. He became a lively and pleasant companion, so much so that Miss Alice, who had once pitied him, now fell in love with him.

When her father saw that they liked each other, he proposed a marriage between them, and both happily agreed. The Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, the Sheriffs, the Company of Stationers, the Royal Academy of Arts, and many important merchants attended the wedding, and were treated to a fine feast.

History tells us that they lived very happily, had several children, and died at a good old age. Mr. Whittington served as Sheriff of London and was three times Lord Mayor. In the last year of his mayoralty, he entertained King Henry V and his Queen after the King's conquest of France. On that occasion, the King said, "Never had prince such a subject." When this was told to Whittington at the table, he replied, "Never had subject such a king." His Majesty, out of respect for his good character, soon knighted him.

Sir Richard, many years before his death, regularly fed many poor citizens. He built a church and a college, with money for poor scholars, and near it he built a hospital. He also built Newgate Prison for criminals and gave generously to St. Bartholomew's Hospital and other public charities.