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This story was first
recorded in 1605. Richard Whittington was a
real person, the son of a knight and himself
a rich merchant in London. He served three
terms as Lord mayor of London: 1397-99,
1406-07, and 1419-20. He died in 1423.
Long, long time ago
there lived a poor boy called Dick
Whittington. He had no mother and no father,
and often nothing to eat. One day he heard
of the great city of London, where, said
everyone, even the streets were paved with
gold. Dick decided to go to London to seek
his fortune.
London was a big and
busy city, full of people both rich and
poor. But Dick could not find any streets
that were paved with gold. Tired, cold and
hungry he fell asleep on the steps of a
great house. This house belonged to Mr.
Fitzwarren, a rich merchant, who was also a
good and generous man. He took Dick into his
house, and gave him work as a scullery boy.
Dick had a little room
of his own where he could have been very
happy if it had not been for the rats. They
would run all over him as he lay on his bed
at night and would not let him sleep. One
day Dick earned a penny shining shoes for a
gentleman, and with it he bought a cat.
After that Dick's life became easier - the
cat frightened away all the rats, and Dick
could sleep in peace at night.
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One day Mr. Fitzwarren
called all the servants of the house
together. One of his ships was leaving for a
far-off land with goods to trade. Mr.
Fitzwarren asked his servants to send
something of their own in the ship if they
so desired, something which could perhaps be
traded for a bit of gold or money. Dick had
only his cat to send - which he did with a
sad heart.
Dick continued to work
as a scullery boy for Mr. Fitzwarren, who
was very kind to him. So was everyone else
except the Cook who made Dick's life so
miserable that one day Dick decided to run
away. He had reached almost the end of the
city when he heard the Bow Bells ring out.
'Turn again Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor
of London' chimed the bells. Dick was
astonished - but he did as the bells said
and went back to Mr. Fitzwarren.
When he returned he
found that Mr. Fitzwarren's ship had
returned, and that his cat had been sold for
a great fortune to the King of Barbary whose
palace had been overrun with mice. Dick had
become a rich man.
He soon learnt the
business from Mr. Fitzwarren, married his
daughter Alice, and in time became the Lord
Mayor of London three times, just as the
bells had said. |
