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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11092 ***
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
+_AND OTHER STORIES_
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Profusely Illustrated_
+
+CHICAGO
+M. A. DONOHUE & CO.
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
+
+
+In the days of King Arthur, Merlin, the famous enchanter, was out on a
+journey, and stopped one day at the cottage of an honest ploughman to
+ask for refreshment. The ploughman’s wife brought him some milk in a
+wooden bowl, and some brown bread on a wooden platter.
+
+Merlin could not help observing that, although everything within the
+cottage was particularly neat and in good order, the ploughman and his
+wife had the most sorrowful air, so he questioned them about the cause
+of their distress, and learned that they were miserable because they
+had no children. The poor woman declared that she would be the happiest
+creature in the world if she had but a son, although he were no bigger
+than his father’s thumb. Merlin was very much amused at the thought of
+a boy no bigger than a man’s thumb; and as soon as he returned home he
+sent for the Queen of the Fairies and related to her the desire of the
+ploughman and his wife to have a son the size of his father’s thumb.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Queen of the Fairies promised that their wish should be granted.
+And so it happened one day that the ploughman’s wife had a son exactly
+of the size of his father’s thumb. While the mother was sitting up in
+bed, admiring the child, the Queen of the Fairies appeared, and kissed
+the infant, giving it the name of Tom Thumb, and summoned several
+fairies to clothe her little favorite.
+
+Tom never grew any bigger; but, as he grew older, he became very
+cunning and sly, which his mother did not sufficiently correct him for;
+so that, when he was old enough to play with the boys for
+cherry-stones, and had lost all his own, he used to creep into the
+other boys’ bags, fill his pockets, and come out again to play. But one
+day, as he was getting out of a bag of cherry-stones, the boy to whom
+it belonged chanced to see him.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+“Ah, ah! my little Tom Thumb,” said the boy, “have I caught you at your
+bad tricks at last? Now I will pay you off well for thieving.”
+
+Then drawing the string tight round his neck, and shaking the bag
+heartily, the cherry stones bruised Tom’s limbs and body sadly, which
+made him beg to be let out, and promise never to be guilty of such
+doings any more.
+
+Shortly afterwards Tom’s mother was making a batter pudding, and, that
+he might see how she mixed it, he climbed up to the edge of the bowl,
+but his foot happening to slip he fell over head and ears into the
+batter, and his mother not observing him, stirred him into the pudding
+and popped it all into the pot to boil. The hot water made Tom kick and
+struggle; and his mother, seeing the pudding jump up and down, thought
+it was bewitched. A tinker was going by just at the time, so she gave
+him the pudding, and he put it into his budget and walked away. As soon
+as Tom could get the batter out of his mouth he began to cry aloud;
+this so frightened the poor tinker that he flung the pudding over the
+hedge. The pudding being broken by the fall Tom was released, and
+walked home to his mother, who gave him a kiss and put him to bed.
+
+Tom Thumb’s mother once took him with her when she went to milk the
+cow; it being a very windy day, she tied him with a needleful of thread
+to a thistle. The cow, liking his oak-leaf hat, took him and the
+thistle up at one mouthful. While the cow was chewing the thistle, Tom,
+terrified at her great teeth, cried out, “Mother! mother!”
+
+[Illustration]
+
+“Where are you, Tommy, my dear Tommy?” said the mother.
+
+“Here, mother; here in the red cow’s mouth.”
+
+The mother began to cry and wring her hands; but the cow, surprised at
+such odd noises in her throat, opened her mouth and let him drop out.
+His mother clapped him into her apron and ran home with him.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Tom’s father made him a whip of barley-straw to drive the cattle with,
+and one day in the field Tom slipped into a deep furrow. A raven flying
+over picked him up with a grain of corn, and flew with him to the top
+of the giant’s castle by the seaside, where he left him. Old Grumbo,
+the giant, came out soon afterwards, to walk upon his terrace, and Tom,
+frightened out of his wits, managed to creep up his sleeve. Tom’s
+motions made the giant uncomfortable, and with a jerk of his arm, he
+threw him into the sea. A great fish then swallowed him. The fish was
+soon after caught, and sent as a present to King Arthur. When it was
+cut open, everybody was delighted with little Tom Thumb, who was found
+inside. He became the favorite of the whole court, and by his merry
+pranks often amused the King and Queen.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The King, when he rode on horseback, frequently took Tom in his hand;
+and if a shower of rain came on, the tiny dwarf used to creep into the
+King’s waistcoat pocket and sleep till the rain was over. The King now
+questioned him concerning his parents; and when Tom informed his
+majesty they were very poor people, the King led him into his treasury,
+and told him he should pay them a visit and take with him as much money
+as he could carry.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Tom soon got rested at his mother’s house, but could not travel because
+it had rained; his mother therefore took him in her hand and carried
+him back to King Arthur’s court. There Tom entertained the King and
+Queen and nobility at tilts and tournaments, at which he exerted
+himself so much that he brought on a fit of sickness. At this juncture
+the Queen of the Fairies came in a chariot drawn by flying mice, and
+placing Tom by her side she drove through the air till they arrived at
+her palace. After restoring him to health, the Queen commanded a fair
+wind, and, placing Tom before it, blew him straight back to the court
+of King Arthur. But just as Tom should have alighted in the courtyard,
+the cook happened to pass with the King’s great bowl of his favorite
+dish, furmenty, and poor Tom fell plump into the middle of it, and
+splashed the hot furmenty into the cook’s eyes. Down went the bowl.
+“Oh, dear,” cried Tom. “Murder! murder!” bellowed the cook; and away
+ran the King’s nice furmenty into the kennel. The cook was a cross
+fellow and swore to the King that Tom had done it out of some evil
+design; so he was tried for high treason and sentenced to be beheaded.
+When the judge delivered this dreadful sentence it happened that a
+miller was standing by with his mouth wide open, so Tom took a good
+spring and jumped down his throat, unperceived by all, even by the
+miller himself.
+
+As Tom could not be found the court broke up, and away went the miller
+to his mill. But Tom did not leave him long at rest, he began to roll
+and tumble about, so that the miller thought himself bewitched, and
+sent for a doctor. When the doctor came, Tom began to dance and sing.
+The doctor was as much frightened as the miller, and sent in great
+haste for five more doctors.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+While all these were talking the miller began to yawn, and Tom, taking
+the opportunity, made another bold jump and alighted on his feet in the
+middle of the table. The miller, provoked to be thus tormented by such
+a little creature, caught hold of Tom and threw him out of the window
+into the river. A large salmon swimming by snapped him up in a moment.
+
+The salmon was soon caught and sold in the market to the steward of a
+great lord. The grandee, thinking it an uncommonly fine fish, made a
+present of it to the King, who ordered it to be dressed immediately.
+When the cook cut open the salmon he found poor Tom inside, and ran
+with him directly to the King; but the King being busy, desired that he
+might be brought another day.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The cook was resolved to keep him safely this time, so clapped him into
+a mouse-trap. There he was shut up for a whole week, when the King sent
+for him, forgave him for throwing down the furmenty, and ordered him
+new clothes, gave him a spirited mouse for a hunter, and knighted him.
+
+Thus dressed and mounted, he rode a hunting with the King and nobility.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+As they were riding by a farmhouse one day, a cat jumped from behind
+the door, seized the mouse and little Tom, ran off with them both, and
+was just going to devour the mouse when Tom boldly drew his sword and
+attacked the cat with great spirit. The King and his nobles, seeing Tom
+in danger, went to his assistance, and one of the lords bravely saved
+him just in time, but poor Tom was sadly scratched by the claws of the
+cat.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Queen of the Fairies came and took him again to Fairyland, where
+she kept him some years; after which, dressing him in bright green, she
+sent him flying once more through the air to the earth. King Thunstone
+now reigned in the place of King Arthur. The people flocked far and
+near to look at Tom Thumb, and the King, before whom he was carried,
+asked him who he was and where he lived. Tom answered:
+
+    “My name is Tom Thumb,
+    From the fairies I come;
+    When King Arthur shone,
+    This court was my home.
+    In me he delighted,
+    By him I was knighted.
+    Did you ever hear of
+    Sir Thomas Thumb?
+
+The King was so charmed with this address that he ordered a little
+chair to be made, and also a palace of gold a span high, with a door an
+inch wide, for little Tom to live in. He also gave him a coach, drawn
+by six small mice. This made the Queen angry, because she had not a new
+coach too; therefore, resolving to ruin Tom, she complained to the King
+that he had behaved very insolently to her. The King sent for him in a
+rage. Tom, to escape his fury, crept into a large, empty snail-shell,
+and there lay for some time, when, peeping out of the shell, he saw a
+fine butterfly on the ground. He ventured forth and got astride the
+butterfly, which took wing, and mounted into the air with little Tom on
+his back. Away he flew straight to the King’s court.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The King, Queen, and nobles all strove to catch the butterfly. At
+length poor Tom slipped from his seat, and fell into a sweet dish
+called white-pot, where he was found, almost drowned. The Queen vowed
+he should be punished, and he was secured once more in a mouse-trap,
+when the cat, seeing something stir, and supposing it to be a mouse,
+patted the trap about till she broke it and set Tom at liberty.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Soon afterwards a spider, taking poor Tom for a big fly, made a spring
+at him. Tom drew his sword and fought valiantly, but the spider’s
+poisonous breath overcame him.
+
+King Thunstone and his whole court went into mourning for little Tom
+Thumb. They buried him under a rose-bush, and raised a nice, white
+marble monument over his grave.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration] THE LION AND THE FOX
+
+THE LION AND THE FOX
+
+
+There was once a fox who had never seen a lion; and so, when he saw a
+lion for the first time, this fox was so scared that he did not know
+what to do.
+
+The lion did him no harm: and the fox crept off out of the way, and ran
+to his hole, and there hid. He stayed in his hole a long while, until
+he found he must go in search of food, and then he crept out.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+Ella and May are the girls you see on this page. Ella is older than
+May, and can read, but May cannot.
+
+But Ella is kind, and will read to May a long time, if May will do as
+she is bid, and sit still on her lap.
+
+And Ella will show May how to read herself.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+In a country called Holland, storks are very kindly treated, for so
+many frogs live in the marshes there, that if the storks did not eat
+them, the people would hardly know what to do. The storks are very
+clever at catching the poor froggies; they snatch them up in their long
+bills, and go flying off, with their great wings spread and their long
+legs stretched out behind them, carrying off two or three at once.
+
+
+
+
+CATCHING BLACKBIRDS.
+
+
+Two little boys were running through the meadows as hard as they could
+go. “What are you doing there?” said a man who was passing along.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+“Catching blackbirds?” said Willie. “Have you caught any?” said the
+man.
+
+“No, not yet,” said Willie. “But grandpa is going to give me five
+dollars when I catch one. He wants one.”
+
+Willie’s grandpa did happen to say to him that morning, “You catch me a
+blackbird, and I will give you five dollars.” He said it just out of
+fun. He did not think that Willie would ever try to do it.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE DOG.
+
+
+Do you see the dog and the hen? The dog bit the hen, and she was mad.
+My dog bit a fox on the hip. One day the fox bit the dog on the lip and
+ran off. Tom and I had a gun, and we set off to get the fox; but the
+sun was so hot we did not go far, but sat on the hay, and had fun.
+
+
+
+
+A LETTER TO FRANK.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+DEAR FRANK,—One day a rabbit came out of the woods to see if he could
+find any clover. Some boys saw him, and tried to catch him. He ran
+under the barn; then came out, sprang through the fence, and so got
+clear.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+I will tell you of a smart thing that my red cow does. When she goes
+for a drink and finds the trough empty, she takes hold of the handle
+with her horns, and pumps the water.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+While I was waiting for a train at the station, the other day, a boy
+with a little dog came in to wait also. The poor dog was afraid, and
+tried very hard to get away; but the boy held him fast by a stout
+string.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+There is one very selfish little chicken in my barn. When the other
+chickens are just going to sleep, this selfish little chick pecks them,
+and drives them down from the roost. He is very naughty, and wants the
+roost all to himself.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+[Illustration]
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11092 ***