y the winds on a part of the coast of Barbary. The people came
in great numbers to see the sailors, and treated them very civilly; and,
when they became better acquainted, were eager to buy the fine things
with which the ship was laden. When the captain saw this, he sent
patterns of the best things he had to the King of the country; who was
so much pleased with them, that he sent for the captain and the chief
mate to the palace. Here they were placed, as is the custom of the
country, on rich carpets, marked with gold and silver flowers. The King
and Queen were seated at the upper end of the room; and a number of
dishes, of the greatest rarities, were brought in for dinner; but,
before they had been on the table a minute, a vast number of rats and
mice rushed in, and helped themselves from every dish. The captain
wondered at this, and asked if these vermin were not very unpleasant.

"Oh, yes!" they said, "and the King would give half of his riches to get
rid of them; for they not only waste his dinner, as you see, but disturb
him in his bedroom, so that he is obliged to be watched while he is
asleep."

The captain was ready to jump for joy when he heard of this. He thought
of poor Dick's cat, and told the King he had a creature on board his
ship that would kill all the rats and mice. The King was still more
glad than the captain.

"Bring this creature to me," said he, "and if it can do what you say, I
will give you your ship full of gold for her."

The captain, to make quite sure of his good luck, answered, that she was
such a clever cat for catching rats and mice, that he could hardly bear
to part with her; but that to oblige His Majesty he would fetch her.

"Run, run!" said the Queen, "for I long to see the creature that will
do such service." Away went the captain to the ship while another dinner
was got ready. He came back to the palace soon enough to see the table
full of rats and mice again, and the second dinner likely to be lost in
the same way as the first. The cat did not wait for bidding, but jumped
out of the captain's arm, and in a few moments laid almost all the rats
and mice dead at her feet. The rest, in a fright, scampered away to
their holes.

[Illustration]

The King and Queen were delighted to get rid of such a plague so easily.
They desired that the creature might be brought for them to look at. On
this, the captain called out: "Puss, puss!" and the cat ran and jumped
upon his knee. He then h