One day as he was getting out of a bag of cherry-stones, the boy to whom it belonged saw him. “Ah, ah! You little thief!” said the boy, “you’ve stolen my cherry-stones. I’ve caught you at last.” And the boy gave the bag such a shake that poor little Tom’s legs and body were badly hurt, and Tom screamed with pain,[48] and promised never to steal again.
A short time afterwards his mother was making a batter pudding, Tommy wanted to see how it was made and climbed up to the edge of the bowl. But his foot slipped, and he fell into the batter. His mother didn’t notice him, and put the batter into the pudding-bag. Then she put it in the pot to boil.
The batter filled Tom’s mouth, and he could not cry. But when he felt the hot water, he began to struggle so much in the pot that his mother thought that the pudding was magic. So she pulled it out of the pot and threw it outside the door. A poor worker, who was passing by, lifted up the pudding, and walked off. As Tom had now cleared his mouth of the batter, he began to scream. The worker was so frightened that he threw down the pudding and ran away. The pudding was broken to pieces, Tom crept out with the batter all over him, and walked home. His mother put him into a teacup, and soon washed off the batter. After that she kissed him, and put him to bed.
Soon after the adventure of the pudding, Tom’s mother went to milk her cow in the meadow, and she took the boy along with her. As the wind was very strong, she tied him to a thistle with a piece of thread. The cow soon saw Tom’s oak-leaf hat, and at once poor Tom and the thistle were in her mouth. Tom was afraid of her great teeth, and he roared out as loud as he could, “Mother! Mother!”
“Where are you, my son, my dear little son?” Tom’s mother asked.
“Here, Mother,” he answered, “in the red cow’s mouth.”
His mother began to cry; but the cow, surprised at the strange noise in her mouth, opened it and dropped Tom. His mother caught him in her apron as he was falling to the ground. Then she took Tom in her hand and ran home with him.
Tom’s father made him a whip of a barley straw[49] to drive the cattle with.[50] One day Tom went into the fields, but his foot slipped and befell down. A bird, which was flying over the field, picked him up, and flew with him over the sea, and then dropped him.
A large fish swallowed Tom the moment he fell into the sea. The fish was soon caught and bought for the round table of King Arthur. When the cook opened the fish to cook it, everybody in the kitchen was surprised to find a little boy inside the fish, and Tom was happy to be free again. They carried him to the king, who was delighted with him and let him live in the palace. And soon he became a great favourite at court for his tricks and jokes. He amused not only the king and queen, but also all the Knights of the Round Table.[51]
When the king rode out on horseback, he often took Tom along with him. If it rained, Tom usually crept into the king’s pocket, where he slept till the rain was over.
One day King Arthur asked Tom about the parents, he wished to know if they were as small as Tom was, and if they were poor or rich. Tom told the king that his father and mother were as tall as anybody in the court, but they were not rich. When he heard this, the king carried Tom to the treasury, the place where he kept all his money, and told him to take as much money as he could carry home to his parents.
The poor little boy was very happy and at once he went to get a purse. He returned to the treasury with a purse which was made of a soap-bubble.[52] He received a silver coin and put it into his purse.
It was very difficult for the little boy to lift the purse and put it upon his back. But at last he went on his journey. More than a hundred times he rested by the way, and in two days and two nights he finally reached his father’s house safely.
Tom had travelled many hours with a great heavy silver coin on his back. He was almost tired to death,[53] when his mother ran out to meet him and carried him into the house. She was very glad to see her son, but Tom soon returned to the king’s court.
As Tom’s clothes were spoilt after the batter-pudding, and the fish, the king ordered to make new clothes for Tom. The king also gave him a mouse to ride. He sat on it like a proud knight.
And Tom Thumb in his fine clothes rode out on his mouse to hunt with the king and his knights. They all liked to look at Tom and laugh as he sat on his fine “horse”.
The king loved Tom so much that he ordered his men to make a little chair for him, and he was sitting on the king’s table when he had his meals. Moreover, the little boy was also given a golden palace to live in and a coach drawn by eight small mice.[54] So Tom lived happily at King Arthur’s court[55] until he died.
The Princess of Canterbury[56]
In the old days, when there were more than one king in this country, one of them was king of Canterbury. He had an only daughter, wise, fair, beautiful, and unmarried.
The king had it proclaimed that whoever would watch one night with his daughter and neither sleep nor doze at the time, should have her the next day in marriage. But if he did not stay awake, he should lose his head.
Such bargains were not uncommon in those days. Many knights did their best,[57] but failed and lost their lives.
Now a young shepherd, named John, grazing his flock near the road, said to his master, “Sir, I see many gentlemen ride to the court at Canterbury, but I never see them return again.”
“Shepherd,” said his master, “I know not how you should,[58] for they try to watch with the king’s daughter, and all who fail lose their heads.”
“Well,” said the shepherd, “I’ll try my worth, folly or luck;[59] so now for a king’s daughter, or a headless shepherd!”
And taking his bottle and bag, he trudged to the court to try his fortune. On his way he had to cross a river. He pulled off his shoes and stockings, and while he was passing over he observed several pretty fish bobbing against his feet. He caught some and put them into his pocket. When he reached the palace, he knocked at the gate loudly with his shepherd’s staff.
As soon as[60] he said why he was visiting, he was taken to a hall where the king’s daughter sat ready, prepared to receive her lovers. He was placed in a luxurious chair, and rich wines and spices were set before him, and all sorts of delicate meals. The shepherd was unused to such fare, and ate and drank plentifully, so that he was nearly dozing before midnight.
“Shepherd,” said the lady, “I have caught you sleeping!”
“No, sweet ally,[61] I was busy fishing.”
“Fishing?” said the princess in surprise. “No, shepherd, there is no fish-pond in the hall.”
“No matter that,[62] I have been fishing in my pocket, and have just caught one.”
‘‘Oh my![63]” said she. “Let me see it.[64]”
The shepherd cleverly drew a fish out of his pocket and showed it to her, and she said it was the finest she had ever seen.
About half an hour afterwards, she said, “Shepherd, do you think you could get me one more?”
He replied, “Maybe,” and after a little while he brought out another. It was finer than the first, and the princess was so delighted that she gave him leave to go to sleep,[65] and promised to excuse him to her father.[66]
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