At this time Mr. Fitzwarren came from the Exchange , and began also to scold at the poor boy , bidding him to go to work . Whittington answered that he should be glad to work if anybody would employ him , and that he should be able if he could get some victuals to eat , for he had had nothing for three days , and he was a poor country boy , and knew nobody , and nobody would employ him . He then endeavored to get up , but he was so very weak that he fell down again , which excited so much compassion in the merchant that he ordered the servants to take him in and give him some meat and drink , and let him help the cook to do any dirty work that she had to set him about . People are too apt to reproach those who beg with being idle , but give themselves no concern to put them in the way of getting business to do , or considering whether they are able to do it , which is not charity . But we return to Whittington , who could have lived happy in this worthy family had he not been bumped about by the cross cook , who must be always roasting and basting , or when the spit was idle employed her hands upon poor Whittington ! At last Miss Alice , his master 's daughter , was informed of it , and then she took compassion on the poor boy , and made the servants treat him kindly . Besides the crossness of the cook , Whittington had another difficulty to get over before he could be happy . He had , by order of his master , a flock-bed placed for him in a garret , where there was a number of rats and mice that often ran over the poor boy 's nose and disturbed him in his sleep . After some time , however , a gentleman who came to his master 's house gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes . This he put into his pocket , being determined to lay it out to the best advantage ; and the next day , seeing a woman in the street with a cat under her arm , he ran up to know the price of it . The woman -LRB- as the cat was a good mouser -RRB- asked a deal of money for it , but on Whittington 's telling her he had but a penny in the world , and that he wanted a cat sadly , she let him have it . This cat Whittington concealed in the garret , for fear she should be beat about by his mortal enemy the cook , and here she soon killed or frightened away the rats and mice , so that the poor boy could now sleep as sound as a top . Soon after this the merchant , who had a ship ready to sail , called for his servants , as his custom was , in order that each of them might venture something to try their luck ; and whatever they sent was to pay neither freight nor custom , for he thought justly that God Almighty would bless him the more for his readiness to let the poor partake of his fortune . All the servants appeared but poor Whittington , who , having neither money nor goods , could not think of sending anything to try his luck ; but his good friend Miss Alice , thinking his poverty kept him away , ordered him to be called . She then offered to lay down something for him , but the merchant told his daughter that would not do , it must be something of his own . Upon which poor Whittington said he had nothing but a cat which he bought for a penny that was given him . `` Fetch thy cat , boy , '' said the merchant , `` and send her . '' Whittington brought poor puss and delivered her to the captain , with tears in his eyes , for he said he should now be disturbed by the rats and mice as much as ever . All the company laughed at the adventure but Miss Alice , who pitied the poor boy , and gave him something to buy another cat . While puss was beating the billows at sea , poor Whittington was severely beaten at home by his tyrannical mistress the cook , who used him so cruelly , and made such game of him for sending his cat to sea , that at last the poor boy determined to run away from his place , and having packed up the few things he had , he set out very early in the morning on All-Hallows day .
He traveled as far as Holloway , and there sat down on a stone to consider what course he should take ; but while he was thus ruminating , Bow bells , of which there were only six , began XXXXX ring ; and he thought their sounds addressed him in this manner : `` Turn again , Whittington , Thrice Lord Mayor of London . ''
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