Jack 
93 
jump. It was from the top of the porch railing 
to the ground ; and when I am a full-grown cat 
I expect to be able to do the same. 
After that day Jack came to see me quite often, 
and he seemed especially to enjoy our beautiful 
sunny porch, which, with its pads and cushions 
and baskets, looked very much like Miss Virgie’s 
playhouse. 
Whenever I visited Jack, we used to sit on a 
garden bench that stood in his yard, and upon 
which his mistress always left a blanket for Jack’s 
special comfort. 
Jack was a great fellow to talk about old times, 
and one day when we were enjoying a sun bath on 
the bench he told me a very interesting story. 
He said that his ancestors came from an island 
across the ocean, and that he hoped some day to 
visit that country. 
I described to him my journey last summer on 
the steamboat, and our visit on the farm, and it 
made him even more anxious to go. 
Continuing his story, Jack said that he was a 
lineal descendant of the famous cat that made a 
fortune for Richard Whittington, who was “ Thrice 
Lord Mayor of London.” 
