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| − | '''Dick Whittington''' was a poor boy from a 14th century [[English]] [[village]] who traveled to [[London]] to seek his fortune, and eventually became Lord Mayor of the city. His life story provides the inspiration for the folk story ''Dick Whittington'', which is a popular subject for [[pantomime]]s in [[Britain]]. He could be seen as an English equivalent of American [[folk hero]]es like [[Davy Crockett]].
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| − | The real Dick Whittington was a remarkable man and a true rags-to-riches story, but the folk story is usually embellished beyond the bare facts of his life, often including such fanciful additions as streets paved with [[gold]], [[pirate]]s and a talking [[cat]]<ref>[http://www.cats.hampshire.org.uk/DickWhittington/DickWhittington.htm Website publicising a typical British performance of ''Dick Whittington'']</ref>.
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| − | Straddling fact and [[fiction]] is the apocryphal episode where a downcast Whittington resolved to leave London for good, but changed his mind after hearing the [[church]] [[bell]]s apparently telling him ''"Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London!"''
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references/>
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| − | [[Category:London]]
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| − | [[Category:Folk Heroes]]
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