Mary Ellis

“ The girl let him keep the cat, for she kept off all the rats and mice. She was a gray cat. She had fine [Pg 38] soft fur, and a long tail. When Dick had done his tea, he took puss on his knee to pat her on the head, and talk to her, as if she knew all that he said to her.
[Pg 39] She then did rub her head on his arm, and purr, and lie down on his knee and take a nap. She had her bed on his heap of rags.
Once when Dick [Pg 40] had felt bad all day, he lay down on his bed. He said to puss, “No one is kind to me but you, puss; no one has love for me. I will run off. I will not stay.” ”

“ The king was in a rage, that he had lost his meal. Jack said to him, “Why do you let the rats and mice [Pg 73] 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 [Pg 74] 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 [Pg 75] 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. ”

“ He had come to say good-bye. He said to them, “The land that the ship will sail to, is a far off [Pg 57] 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. ”