Page:History of Whittington and his cat (3).pdf/9

9 had fallen in good ground; but, as delivering himself from such great annoyances was a grand object, he resolved to buy a cat with the first money he got. Nor was it long before he had both the means and the opportunity of so doing; for, very early in the morning, within the same week, a little girl passed the door as he was cleaning it, with a cat in her arms; which she offered to sell, but wanted more money than he could raise. But perceiving he had tears in his eyes, and a tempting penny in his hand, she came down to his price.

The delighted boy hastened, unperceived, to his loft, before the cook opened her eyes; and finding a wicker basket with a cover, which being in dirty condition, and out of use, he thought he might venture to take, for his cat to live in during his absence in the day, to prevent her running out of the loft, and the cook from getting a sight of her; for he knew her ill-temper to be such, that if she ever beheld her, she would turn her out into the street.



Having surmounted these prodigious difficulties, he began to amusoamuse [sic] himself at stolen moments, when he ran up stairs to ask Puss how she did, with thinking what name he should give her; when hoping she might one day become a favourite with his young mistress, he called her Felice.

Poor Whittington's cat, besides being an excellent mouser, had all the sportive talents of her tribe. Whence, as soon as her master found himself perfectly freed from his late tormentors, he began to call them into exercise; and accordingly having received a few lessons only, Puss would creep into his pocket like a squirrel, follow him as far as he would permit her, and like a little puppy dog, jump over his hands at command. In a word, she became as lively and entertaining a companion, as she had