Dick went upstairs and brought down poor puss, with tears in his eyes,
and gave her to the captain; "For," he said, "I shall now be kept
awake all night by the rats and mice." All the company laughed at
Dick's odd venture; and Miss Alice, who felt pity for him, gave him
some money to buy another cat.

This, and many other marks of kindness shown him by Miss Alice, made
the ill-tempered cook jealous of poor Dick, and she began to use him
more cruelly than ever, and always made game of him for sending his
cat to sea.

She asked him: "Do you think your cat will sell for as much money as
would buy a stick to beat you?"

At last poor Dick could not bear this usage any longer, and he thought
he would run away from his place; so he packed up his few things, and
started very early in the morning, on All-hallows Day, the first of
November. He walked as far as Holloway; and there sat down on a stone,
which to this day is called "Whittington's Stone," and began to think
to himself which road he should take.

While he was thinking what he should do, the Bells of Bow Church,
which at that time were only six, began to ring, and their sound
seemed to say to him:

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

"Lord Mayor of London!" said he to himself. "Why, to be sure, I would