Dick and His Cat | Page 3

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.
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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.
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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. You do not know how to get rid of them." Jack said, "We will see." So the next day, he put the cat in a bag, and went with the bag in 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 in your bag." But Jack said, "Not just yet; wait till we see the rats and mice."
So they went to