DICK AND HIS CAT. An Old Tale IN A NEW GARB. By MARY ELLIS. [Illustration] J. HAMILTON, 1344 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 1871. [Illustration: DICK AND HIS CAT. ] Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by J. HAMILTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States forthe Eastern District of Pennsylvania. J. FAGAN & SON, STEREOTYPERS, PHILAD'A. A WORD TO PARENTS. The story of "Dick Whittington and his Cat" has so often amused thelittle ones, who never wearied of its repetition, that the author ofthe following version thought she might extend the pleasure derivedfrom it by putting it in language which they could read forthemselves. No word contains more than _four letters_, and none is over _onesyllable_ in length, so that any child who has the least knowledge ofreading will be able to enjoy it for himself. DICK AND HIS CAT. PART I. Once on a time, a poor boy was seen to go up and down the side-walk ofa town, and sob and cry. At last he sat down on a door-step. He wastoo weak to run more. He had had no food all the day. It was a day inJune. The air was mild. The warm sun sent down its rays of love onall. But poor Dick had no joy on this fair day. He laid his head down on the step, and took a nap; for he was sickand weak for want of food. As he lay, a girl came to the door. She sawthe poor boy lie on the step; but he did not see her. She went in, and said to a man who was in the room, "A poor boy has lain down onour step to take a nap. " The man came to the door to see the boy. He said, "This boy does notlook nice. His hair has not seen a comb all day; his face and feet arefull of dirt; and his coat is torn. " The man did not like such a mean boy to be at his door. But when hesaw the lad's thin, pale face, as he lay at his feet, he felt sad forhim. Just then the boy woke up. He went to run off when he saw the man andgirl at the door, but they made him stay. "Why did you lie down here?" the man said to the boy. "I was weak and sick. " "Have you had no food to eat?" "I have had no food all day. " Then the girl went in and got him a roll and a mug of milk. The boyate so fast and so much that they had to wait till he was done, totalk to him more. "Have you no pa nor ma?" said the man. A tear fell from the poorboy's eye, as he said, "I have no pa, and my ma they took from me, andI can not find her. She was sick a long time. I used to sit at herside and lay my head on her knee. Once she said to me that my pa hadgone home to God, and that she must go too. Then she got too sick torise from her bed. One day they put me on the bed by her side. Shelaid her hand on my head, and she said, "I pray Thee, O God, takecare of my poor boy. " "Then she shut her eyes and grew so pale, and her hand got so cold, it made me cry. But she did not move, nor turn her eyes on me. Theytook me off the bed and sent me out to play. But I sat down at thedoor and wept for my ma. "The next day I saw them lay her in a long box of wood and take heroff. I have run up and down all day to find her. Do you know whatthey have done with my ma? Oh! tell me, if you can. " Then the poor ladwept so hard that the man and the girl felt sad for him. "How old are you, my boy?" said the man. "I was six last May. " "What is your name?" "Dick. " "Well, Dick, " said this good man, "you may come in here, if you like, and stay till you can find your ma. I will give you food to eat, andyou can help me to work. When your ma does come for you, you may gohome with her. " [Illustration] PART II. [Illustration] Dick soon made up his mind to live with this kind, good man. The manwas not rich. He had to work hard, and Dick was made to work too. Buthe did not mind that. But the girl was not kind to Dick. She gave him a box on the ear whenhe did not do as she bid him. She did not let him sit down to eat tillshe had done, and all that she gave him was the bits that she hadleft. She made him a bed of a pile of old rags, at one end of theloft. Dick had no one now to show him how to be good, and he soon got to bea bad boy. He told lies, and when no eye was on him, he took what wasnot his. He did not know God saw him. He used a bad word now andthen, and did not work so well as once he did. The man who took Dick to live with him was sad to see him such a badboy, and did not know what to do with him. Dick had now no joy in life, for no bad boy can be gay and glad. Buthe did not like to feel that he was made sad by his own bad ways. Hesaid it was the way he had to live that made him bad. [Illustration] PART III. [Illustration] Poor Dick had now no one to love him but a cat. One day, when he wasout at play, he saw some boys pelt a cat to kill her. He did not liketo have them kill the cat, so he ran to her, took her up in his arms, and took her home. The girl let him keep the cat, for she kept off allthe rats and mice. She was a gray cat. She had fine soft fur, and along tail. When Dick had done his tea, he took puss on his knee to pather on the head, and talk to her, as if she knew all that he said toher. She then did rub her head on his arm, and purr, and lie down on hisknee and take a nap. She had her bed on his heap of rags. Once when Dick had felt bad all day, he lay down on his bed. He saidto puss, "No one is kind to me but you, puss; no one has love for me. I will run off. I will not stay. " Dick did not shut his eyes, but when it was yet dark, he got up, andwent out of his room, down to the door. He put his hand on the key andgave it a turn. He felt the cold air on his face when he went out. But he ran on fast, till he was so weak, he had to stop. Just then a big bell near him rang out loud on the air to say thatday had come once more. It made Dick turn his eyes to see this bell, and as it rang, he felt it say to him, "Turn back, Dick!--Turn back, Dick!--Turn back, Dick!" Dick did not move. He did not know what to do. His eyes were on thebell as it rung out, "Turn back, Dick!--Turn back, Dick! Turn back, Dick!" It put him in mind of the time when his ma had laid her hand on hishead ere she went to God, and said, "O God, take care of my poor boy!"It put him in mind what a bad boy he had been, and how he had madehis life a hard one by his ill ways. He made up his mind to go back. But then he said, "If they find out I have run off, they will beatme. " This fear made him run so fast, that he got home and back to hisheap of rags ere the man and the girl were up. As Dick lay on his bed, he made up his mind to be a good boy. He knewhis ma used to pray to God to make him good, so he bent his own kneeto pray, and said, "O God, make Dick a good boy. " Just then the girl came to the door, and said, "Dick! Dick! get up! Itis day!" So Dick soon went down and was so kind and good, they didnot know what to make of it. But Dick went on day by day, and soon hesaw that when he was kind and good, they were kind and true to him. It was hard work for Dick to give up all his bad ways. But each mornand eve he went to God, to ask Him for help, and he did not ask invain. By-and-by the girl let him sit with her. She made him a goodbed. Miss Puss yet kept her seat on his knee, when he sat down torest, and all was love and joy. [Illustration] PART IV. [Illustration] One day a man, by the name of Jack, came to see them. He was to go onthe 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 offland, and the men who live in it are not like us, and do not know ourways. They do not eat or wear what we do. Now what you give me I willtake with me, and sell it for you, and when I come back I will payyou what I get for it. It may be that I will get much gold for it; forthe men in that far off land like what is made here, more than whatthey have at home. " So the man and the girl were glad, and gave him much to sell forthem. 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. "Ihave but my cat, " said Dick. "Well, send that, " said Jack; "it may beshe will sell for more than all the rest. " They all had much fun atthis, and Dick had to join in. He took puss up in his arms. He gaveher a kiss and a pat on her head. He felt her soft fur. It was hardfor 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. Shedid 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 hegot to the ship, he let the cat out of the bag. She was glad to befree 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 madethem 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 thatshe was well off. PART V. [Illustration] The ship went on her way. It was more than a year when they got tothat far off land. The man who took the cat, had, as was said, the name of Jack. He leftthe ship when he got to the land, and went to see the king. The kingwas glad to see Jack, and told him, he must stay and dine with him. When they went to the room to dine, they saw that rats and mice werein it too, and had eat much of the food. They saw the rats and micejump down and run when they went in the room. The king was in a rage, that he had lost his meal. Jack said to him, "Why do you let the rats and mice do so?" "I do not know how to helpit, " said the king. "I will give a pile of gold to one who will rid meof them. " Then Jack was glad. He said to the king, "If you will give me a pileof gold, I will rid you of the rats and mice. " The king said, "You arein fun. You do not know how to get rid of them. " Jack said, "We willsee. " So the next day, he put the cat in a bag, and went with the bagin his arm to the king. Puss did not like to be shut up in the bag, and made much fuss. The king was glad to see Jack, and said, "Let me see what you have inyour bag. " But Jack said, "Not just yet; wait till we see the ratsand mice. " So they went to the room to dine. The rats and mice were at the foodjust as they had been. Jack took the cord off the bag, and took outthe cat. The king did not know what a cat was; for he had no cats inhis land. Jack held her in his arms till she had lost her fear, and then sether down with the rats and mice. She soon made them know what a catwas, and put them in such fear that they all fled. The king was soglad that he did not know what to do. They sat down to dine. Not a rat came out of its hole. The king atehis meal with joy, and puss sat on his knee and fed out of his dish. The king told Jack he must let him keep the cat. Jack said, "I willgive her to you, but you must give me the pile of gold. " The king wasglad to keep the cat and pay the gold. So Jack put the gold in thebag that had held the cat, and went back to the ship. A year more went by, ere Jack and his ship came back to port. He soonwent to see Dick, with the bag of gold. The man and the girl wereboth glad to find that Jack had sold what they gave him, and that hehad got a good deal for them. But when Jack told them of the cat, andtook out the bag of gold, they did not know what to say. And when poorDick was told that it was all for him, he had to cry for joy, and allthe rest wept with him, for they were all fond of Dick now, he hadcome to be such a good boy. "Well, Dick, " said Jack, "what will you do with all this gold? Let ussee what will be best. " So they all said much, and sat up till it waslate, to talk of Dick and his pile of gold. At last Dick said, "I will give some of it to each of you, who havebeen so good and kind to me. I will take part of the rest and lay itout upon my mind, that I may be wise when I grow to be a man. And whatis left I will lay up, so that when I am a man, I will have it towork with, that I may grow to be rich; for to be good, and wise, andrich, is what I wish. " They all said Dick knew what was best. So that is what was done withthe pile of gold that the king gave for the cat. [Illustration: FINIS] Transcriber's Note: Minor punctuation errors have been amended without note. 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