What became of little Tom ? He slipped away off the rocks into the water , as I said before . But he could not help thinking of little Ellie . He did not remember who she was ; but he knew that she was a little girl , though she was a hundred times as big as he . That is not surprising : size has nothing to do with kindred . A tiny weed may be first cousin to a great tree ; and a little dog like Vick knows that Lioness is a dog too , though she is twenty times larger than herself . So Tom knew that Ellie was a little girl , and thought about her all that day , and longed to have had her to play with ; but he had very soon to think of something else . And here is the account of what happened to him , as it was published next morning , in the Water-proof Gazette , on the finest watered paper , for the use of the great fairy , Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid , who reads the news very carefully every morning , and especially the police cases , as you will hear very soon . He was going along the rocks in three-fathom water , watching the pollock catch prawns , and the wrasses nibble barnacles off the rocks , shells and all , when he saw a round cage of green withes ; and inside it , looking very much ashamed of himself , sat his friend the lobster , twiddling his horns , instead of thumbs . `` What , have you been naughty , and have they put you in the lock - up ? '' asked Tom . The lobster felt a little indignant at such a notion , but he was too much depressed in spirits to argue ; so he only said , `` I ca n't get out . '' `` Why did you get in ? '' `` After that nasty piece of dead fish . '' He had thought it looked and smelt very nice when he was outside , and so it did , for a lobster : but now he turned round and abused it because he was angry with himself . `` Where did you get in ? '' `` Through that round hole at the top . '' `` Then why do n't you get out through it ? '' `` Because I ca n't : '' and the lobster twiddled his horns more fiercely than ever , but he was forced to confess . `` I have jumped upwards , downwards , backwards , and sideways , at least four thousand times ; and I ca n't get out : I always get up underneath there , and ca n't find the hole . ''
Tom looked at the trap , and having more wit XXXXX the lobster , he saw plainly enough what was the matter ; as you may if you will look at a lobster-pot .
After Because about as on so than that though underneath