Classic story

Dick Whittington and His Cat

A English tale
4 chapters
about 18 min

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Dick Whittington is a poor, orphaned boy who dreams of London as a land paved with gold. He travels there only to find hardship and hunger instead of riches. After struggling to survive on the streets, he finds work in the household of Mr. Fitzwarren. However, life at home is difficult due to the cruel treatment of an ill-tempered cook-maid. Dick also suffers from nightly terrors caused by rats infesting his garret bed. To solve this problem, he buys a small cat with a penny given to him by a gentleman. The cat helps him sleep peacefully by catching the vermin that plague his room. When Mr. Fitzwarren’s ship prepares to sail, Dick has nothing valuable to invest in the voyage. Miss Alice kindly uses her own money to allow him to send his cat aboard as his venture. The cruel cook mocks Dick for sending such a poor gift on such a risky journey. Overwhelmed by the cook's bullying, Dick decides to run away from London forever. He sits on a stone and hears church bells ringing a message that encourages him to return. He goes back to work, enduring more scolding before finally going home at night. Meanwhile, the ship reaches Barbary, where rats have overrun the royal palace. The captain presents Dick’s cat to the King and Queen, who are desperate for relief from the infestation. The cat kills all the rats, delighting the royalty and proving her worth. The King pays a fortune in gold and jewels for the cat, making Dick incredibly rich. Mr. Fitzwarren learns of this windfall and ensures Dick receives his full share. Dick uses his wealth to dress well and gain the respect of society. Miss Alice sees him in his new attire and realizes she loves him. They are married in a grand ceremony attended by London's elite. Dick eventually becomes Lord Mayor of London and lives happily ever after.

How it begins

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT In the reign of the famous King Edward III. there was a little boy called Dick Whittington, whose father and mother died when he was very young. As poor Dick was not old enough to work, he was very badly off; he got but little for his dinner, and sometimes nothing at all for his breakfast; for the people who lived in the village were very poor indeed, and could not spare him much more than the parings of potatoes, and now and then a hard crust of bread. Now Dick had heard a great many very strange things about the great city called London; for the country people at that time thought that folks in…

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Dick Whittington and His Cat

How it begins

Every story, fully told

A voice for every character

The mood of every line

Pictures of every place

Read along

Your AI voice, for any character

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