And how their king was glad to see WHIT.
Our English sailors.bold, TINGTON
Who sat and ate and drank with him Be
From cups of purest gold.
Once on a day, amid their cheer,
When healths went gaily round,
How were the crew amazed to see,
In swarms upon the ground,
Unnumbered rats and mice rush forth
And seize the goodly cheer,
While stood the wond’ring guests aloof,
O’erwhelmed with dread and fear.
‘Oh!’ said the king, ‘what sums I’d give
To rid me of such vile
Detested brutes, whose ravages
Our bed and board defile!’

Now when the captain and sailors heard this, they
recollected the cat of Dick Whittington; so they
told the king that they had an animal on board which
would rid him very speedily of all the vermin.
‘Bring the beast to me,’ said the king, ‘and if it
be as you say, I will lade your vessel with gold
dust in exchange for it.’
So the captain sent a sailor to the ship, whilst a
second dinner was being got ready. The sailor
soon caught the puss, tucked her under his arm,
and arrived at the palace in time to see the swarm
of rats rush in to eat up the second meal that had
been served.
Now when the cat saw and smelt the rats, whish
she went out of the sailor’s arms, and away she
rushed upon the rats, and nipped and killed them
one after another, and those who saw her, and
had time, fled to their holes like wind.
The king laughed and kicked his feet about, and
clapped his hands, and was so delighted that he
said he must and would have the beast, even if
it cost him half his kingdom,
I 129