English Fairy Tales

Joseph Jacobs

of a domestic Providence. He not alone punished bad boys,
as here, but also rewarded the good, by leaving them gifts on
appropriate occasions like Santa Claus or Father Christmas,
who, as is well known, only leave things for good children.
Mrs. Abrahams remembers one occasion well when she nearly
caught sight of Mr. Miacca, just after he had left her a gift;
she saw his shadow in the shape of a bright light passing
down the garden.

XXXI. DICK WHITTINGTON.

Source.—I have cobbled this up out of three chap-book ver-
sions; (1) that contained in Mr. Hartland’s English Folk-tales;
(2) that edited by Mr. H. B. Wheatley for the Villon Soci-
ety; (3) that appended to Messrs. Besant and Rice’s mono-
graph.

Parallels.—Whittington’s cat has made the fortune of his
master in all parts of the Old World, as Mr. W. A. Clouston,

among others, has shown, Popular Tales and Fictions, ii. 65-

78 (cf. Köhler on Gonzenbach, ii. 251).

Remarks.—If Bow Bells had pealed in the exact and accurate

nineteenth century, they doubtless would have chimed

Turn again, Whittington,

Thrice and a half Lord Mayor of London.

For besides his three mayoralties of 1397, 1406, and 1419,

he served as Lord Mayor in place of Adam Bamme, deceased,

in the latter half of the mayoralty of 1396. It will be noticed

that the chap-book puts the introduction of potatoes rather

far back.