



Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer





THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB


To which are added

THE STORIES OF THE CAT AND THE MOUSE

and

FIRE! FIRE! BURN STICK!


Edited by Henry Altemus





THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB

It is said that in the days of the famed Prince Arthur, who was king of
Britain, in the year 516, there lived a great magician, called Merlin,
the most learned and skilful enchanter in the world at that time.

This great magician, who could assume any form he pleased, was
travelling in the disguise of a poor beggar, and being very much
fatigued, he stopped at the cottage of an honest ploughman to rest
himself, and asked for some refreshment.

The countryman gave him a hearty welcome, and his wife, who was a very
good-hearted, hospital woman, soon brought him some milk in a wooden
bowl, an some coarse brown bread on a platter.

Merlin was much pleased with this homely repast and the kindness of
the ploughman and his wife; but he could not help seeing that though
everything was neat and comfortable in the cottage, they seemed both
be sad and much cast down. He therefore questioned them on the cause
of their sadness, and learned they were miserable because they had no
children.

The poor woman declared, with tears in her eyes, that she should be the
happiest creature in the world if she had a son; and although he was no
bigger than her husband's thumb, she would be satisfied.

Merlin was so much amused with the idea of a boy no bigger than a man's
thumb, that he made up his mind to pay a visit to the queen of the
fairies, and ask her to grant the poor woman's wish. The droll fancy of
such a little person among the human race pleased the fairy queen
too, greatly, and she promised Merlin that the wish should be granted.
Accordingly, a short time after, the ploughman's wife had a son, who,
wonderful to relate! was not bigger than his father's thumb.

The fairy queen, wishing to see the little fellow thus born into the
world, came in at the window while the mother was sitting up in bed
admiring him. The queen kissed the child, and, giving it the name of Tom
Thumb, sent for some of the fairies, who dressed her little favorite as
she bade them.

   "An oak-leaf hat he had for his crown;
      His shirt of web by spiders spun;
   With jacket wove of thistle's down;
      His trowsers were of feathers done.

   His stockings, of apple-rind they tie
   With eyelash from his mother's eye:
   His shoes were made of mouse's skin
   Tann'd with the downy hair within."

It is remarkable that Tom never grew any larger than his father's thumb,
which was only of an ordinary size; but as he got older he became very
cunning and full of tricks. When he was old enough to play with the
boys, and had lost all his own