Dick and His Cat | Page 3

Dick lay on his bed, he made up his mind to be a good boy. He
knew his ma used to pray to God to make him good, so he bent his own
knee to pray, and said, "O God, make Dick a good boy."
Just then the girl came to the door, and said, "Dick! Dick! get up! It is
day!" So Dick soon went down and was so kind and good, they did not
know what to make of it. But Dick went on day by day, and soon he

saw 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 morn
and eve he went to God, to ask Him for help, and he did not ask in vain.
By-and-by the girl let him sit with her. She made him a good bed. Miss
Puss yet kept her seat on his knee, when he sat down to rest, and all
was love and joy.
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PART IV.
[Illustration]
One day a man, by the name of Jack, came to see them. He was to go
on the 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 off land,
and the men who live in it are not like us, and do not know our ways.
They do not eat or wear what we do. Now what you give me I will take
with me, and sell it for you, and when I come back I will pay you what
I get for it. It may be that I will get much gold for it; for the men in that
far off land like what is made here, more than what they have at home."
So the man and the girl were glad, and gave him much to sell for them.
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. "I have but
my cat," said Dick. "Well, send that," said Jack; "it may be she will sell
for more than all the rest." They all had much fun at this, and Dick had
to join in. He took puss up in his arms. He gave her a kiss and a pat on
her head. He felt her soft fur. It was hard for 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. She did 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 he got
to the ship, he let the cat out of the bag. She was glad to be free 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 made
them 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 that
she was well off.


PART V.
[Illustration]
The ship went on her way. It was more than a year when they got to
that far off land.
The man who took the cat, had, as was said, the name of Jack. He left
the ship when he got to the land, and went to see the king. The king
was 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 were
in it too, and had eat much of the food. They saw the rats and mice
jump 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 help
it," said the king. "I will give a pile of gold to one who will rid me of
them."
Then Jack was glad. He said to the king, "If you will give me a pile of
gold, I will rid you of the rats and mice." The king said, "You are in fun.