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A statue of a black cat, celebrating this story, situated on Highgate Hill

The historical Sir Richard Whittington and his cat

Dick Whittington (also Dick Wittington) is a character in a British pantomime, very loosely based on the real-life Richard Whittington, who was born, probably in Gloucestershire, in the late 1350s and died in London in 1423. There are several versions of the traditional story, which tells how Dick, a boy from a poor family, sets out for London to make his fortune, accompanied by his cat. At first he meets with little success, and is tempted to return home. However, on his way out of the city, whilst climbing Highgate Hill from Archway, he hears the Bow Bells of London ringing, and believes they are sending him a message. A traditional rhyme is associated with this episode, as follows:

Turn again, Whittington,

Once Mayor of London!

Turn again, Whittington,

Twice Mayor of London!

Turn again, Whittington,

Thrice Mayor of London!

On returning to London, Dick embarks on a series of adventures. In one version of the tale, he travels abroad on a ship, and wins many friends as a result of the rat-catching activities of his cat; in another he sends his cat and it is sold to make his fortune. Eventually he does become prosperous, marries his master's daughter Alice FitzWarin (the name of the real Whittington's wife), and is made Lord Mayor of London three times (the historical Whittington was elected Lord Mayor four times).

Alan Armstrong, in his book Whittington (2005) (ISBN 0-375-82864-8), asserts that, beginning in the year 1605, "Whittington's name, still famous because of his generosities, got attached to a thirteenth-century Persian folktale about an orphan who gained a fortune through his remarkable cat."

• Dick Whittington and His Cat: "A pantomime [adapt.] by Stuart Ardern." ("Read the complete Dick Whittington panto script on line. All the scripts on this site are copyrighted and may not be printed, quoted or performed without the permission of Lazy Bee Scripts. Dick Whittington and His Cat is a pantomime in two acts with a run time approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.") Accessed December 1, 2006.
• The History of Whittington, as collected by Andrew Lang in The Blue Fairy Book (1889).
• Dick Whittington and His Cat. London: Jarrold, 1900.
• Dick Whittington and His Cat. London: Tebel Toy Novelty House, 1895.
• Dick Whittington & his Cat: London's Family Panto. Adapt. by Mark Ravenhill. On Stage at the Barbican Theatre, London. November 29, 2006-January 20, 2007. (Informational and ticket site.) Info: Audio (MP3) and Video Podcast (WMP) links. Video Podcast (WMP) (Full screen).
• "Who Was Dick Whittington?" Museum of London December 17, 2006. (Free educational program: Storytelling.) Event details.
• Dick Whittington and His Cat as retold by Rohini Chowdhury.

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