Hello everyone, and welcome to bedtime stories with 安澜. In this segment, I'm going to be telling you some famous stories from Britain and many other countries. So get comfortable and let me take you on a journey far away, The story of Dick Whittington.

Long ago, a poor little boy lived on the streets in torn and dirty clothes. He never saw or knew his parents or his birthplace. He called himself Dick Whittington. One fine day, he met a man driving a wagon who was on his way to London. Dick asked if he could join him on his journey. The kind man agreed but did not ask him to pay. Little Dick was very excited to see London and imagined that its streets were made of gold. However, to his utter disappointment, London was covered in dirt and there was no sign of gold.

Dick was soon all by himself. He had gone days without food or money. He was cold and starving. He begged for food, work, and money but no one showed him any kindness. Out of exhaustion and hunger, he collapsed at the door of a kind merchant Mr Fitzwarren. The cook at his place was a cruel woman who told Dick to leave or she would pour hot water on him. Mr Fitzwarren, who had just returned from the London Exchange, took pity on the boy and brought him in. He ordered his servants to provide him with food and drink and the cook to let him work in the kitchen as her helper.

Just when little Whittington hoped for brighter days, the servants mocked him and the cook beat him. When the kind merchant’s daughter, Miss Alice, found out about it, she felt sorry for him and ordered everyone to be nice to Dick.

Dick Whittington slept in a bed in a tiny attic room that was full of rats and mice. They troubled him enough to prevent him from having a good sleep. A gentleman once visited Mr Fitzwarren who rewarded Whittington with a penny in return for brushing his shoes. Whittington set out with that penny to buy something for himself. On the way, he saw a woman with a cat. He wanted to buy the cat from her but the price was too high. He explained his situation and said, “A penny is all I have.” The good woman allowed him to have the cat for a penny. He named her Miss Puss and hid her in his attic room. She soon got rid of all the rats and mice and helped him sleep peacefully.

Soon afterwards, it was time for Mr Fitzwarren’s ship to set sail on a voyage. As per custom, the master ordered each servant to send something of their own for trade so they could possibly earn a fortune. Poor Whittington had nothing to offer but Miss Puss whom he unwillingly gave for the voyage.

Dick Whittington’s troubles were far from over. The cruel cook continued beating him and laughing at him for sending his cat on the voyage. Fed up with the situation, the poor boy fled from the house. While deciding which direction to continue his journey away from London, he heard St. Mary-le-Bow church’s bells ringing. It appeared to him as if they said:

“Turn back, Dick Whittington, the future Lord Mayor of London.”

Dick thought about it for some time and then decided to try again. He set out to return to his master’s place, ready to face what awaited him there.

Mr Fitzwarren’s ship had survived a terrible storm at sea and drifted towards the unknown land of the Moors in North Africa. The Moorish people welcomed the captain and his crew with open arms and soon they found themselves at the palace showing their possessions for trade. The King and Queen invited the captain and his assistant to dinner, where many delicious dishes were served. But before they could start eating, a large group of rats and mice appeared and ate up all the food. The nobles told the captain that these creatures had caused the King and Queen a lot of trouble and even attacked them in their sleep. They further added that the King would reward half his treasure to anyone who would help him get rid of these wicked creatures. The captain suddenly remembered about Whittington’s cat and quickly fetched her.

When a second dinner was laid out, the rats and mice returned to eat. The captain let loose Miss Puss and she killed many of them. She then got on the Queen’s lap and purred. The highly impressed King bought all the cargo as well as Miss Puss and filled the ship with huge treasures. The ship sailed for England with happy news.

When the ship arrived and Mr Fitzwarren was informed of all that had happened, he immediately sent for Mr Whittington as Dick came to be known. The honest merchant congratulated Dick Whittington and handed him the huge fortune that his cat had earned him. Dick fell upon his knees in gratitude towards his master. He thanked the captain and his crew and presented everyone, including the cook, with gifts. Thereafter, washed and dressed in expensive clothes, Miss Alice fell in love with him and they were soon married.

Dick was knighted by the King and became Sir Richard Whittington. He became the Lord Mayor of London three times. He used his money wisely. He helped the poor and built colleges, churches, and hospitals. He became famous for his charity and lived happily ever after.