"Why do you let the rats do this?" asked the captain.

"Alas, we cannot help ourselves," said the king. "I would give half my
kingdom to be rid of them."

Then the captain thought of Dick Whittington's cat.

"I have an animal which will rid you of them," said the captain.

"Pray bring it in at once," said the queen.

What fun Dick's cat had killing the rats and mice in the king's palace!

"We must buy that little animal," said the queen. "I do not care how
much she may cost."

The captain could hardly carry all the jewels and gold that the king
gave him for the cat.

Then the ship with Dick's money came back to London, and the captain
told the story to Mr. Fitzwarren.

"We must take these jewels and all this gold at once to Mr.
Whittington," said the honest man. "He is no longer a poor boy, for this
has made him rich."

[Illustration]

They found Dick in the kitchen blacking the stove.