Dick Whittington

Dick Whittington is the story of a young orphan who comes to London to seek his fortune, as he has heard that the city’s streets are paved with gold.

All he has in the world is his faithful best friend, a cat named Tommy and so, together they travel to the city. Dick and Tommy are soon disappointed when they find that, far from being paved with gold, London is a dark, busy and lonely place. Finally, Dick manages to find a place to stay, with a wealthy merchant named Fitzwarren and his daughter Alice. Dick and Alice quickly fall in love, but the story’s villain, King Rat conspires to come between them. King Rat rules the underworld of London and sets a trap for Dick so that he is accused of stealing money from Alice’s father. Dick is sent from the city in disgrace and sadly he begins to make his way home, until he falls asleep and has a dream that the bells of London, orchestrated by the Fairy of the Bells, chime a message to him, telling him to return to London, where he will one day become Lord Mayor! 

 

He returns to the city and stows away on a ship that is taking Alice and her father on a journey. On finding Dick on board, Alice convinces her father to give him another chance. While at sea, King Rat causes the ship to sink in a storm, and the crew gets washed up on the shores of Morocco. The Sultan of Morocco explains to our hero that his country is overrun by rats – a problem that Dick assures him, Tommy the cat can solve, being a champion rat-catcher!

 

In return for saving his country, the Sultan gives Dick more gold and jewels than he could have dreamed of, and so, when he returns to London, he is greeted as a hero. Just as the bells told him, Dick becomes Lord Mayor of London... and marries his beloved Alice!