One day a large waggon and eight horses, all with bells at their heads,
drove through the village while Dick was standing by the sign-post. He
thought that this waggon must be going to the fine town of London; so
he took courage, and asked the waggoner to let him walk with him by the
side of the waggon. As soon as the waggoner heard that poor Dick had
no father or mother, and saw by his ragged clothes that he could not be
worse off than he was, he told him he might go if he would, so off they
set together.
So Dick got safe to London, and was in such a hurry to see the fine
streets paved all over with gold, that he did not even stay to thank the
kind waggoner; but ran off as fast as his legs would carry him, through
many of the streets, thinking every moment to come to those that were
paved with gold; for Dick had seen a guinea three times in his own
little village, and remembered what a deal of money it brought in
change; so he thought he had nothing to do but to take up some little
bits of the pavement, and should then have as much money as he could
wish for.
Poor Dick ran till he was tired, and had quite forgot his friend the
waggoner; but at last, finding it grow dark, and that every way he
turned he saw nothing but dirt instead of gold, he, sat down in a dark
corner and cried himself to sleep.
Little Dick was all night in the streets; and next morning, being very
hungry, he got up and walked about, and asked everybody he met to give
him a halfpenny to keep him from starving; but nobody stayed to answer
him, and only two or three gave him a halfpenny; so that the poor boy
was soon quite weak and faint for the want of victuals.
In this distress he asked charity of several people, and one of them
said crossly: “Go to work, for an idle rogue.” “That I will,” says Dick,
“I will to go work for you, if you will let me.” But the man only cursed
at him and went on.
At last a good-natured looking gentleman saw how hungry he looked. “Why
don't you go to work my lad?” said he to Dick. “That I would, but I do
not know how to get any,” answered Dick. “If you are willing, come along
with me,” said the gentleman, and took him to a hay-field, where Dick
worked briskly, and lived merrily till the hay was made.
After this he found himself as badly off as before; and being almost
starved again, he laid himself down at the door of Mr. Fitzwarren,
a rich merchant. Here he was soon seen by the cook-maid, who was an
ill-tempered creature, and happened just then to be very busy dressing
dinner for her master and mistress; so she called out to poor Dick:
“What business have you there, you lazy rogue? there is nothing else but
beggars; if you do not take yourself away, we will see how you will like
a sousing of some dish-water; I have some here hot enough to make you
jump.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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