rain was over. One day, the king asked Tom concerning his parents, and finding they were very poor, the king led Tom into his treasury, and told him he might pay them a visit, and take with him as much money as he could carry.

Tom bought a small purse, and putting a three penny piece into it, with much difficulty got it upon his back, and after travelling two days and two nights, reached his father's cottage.

His mother met him at the door, almost tired to death, having travelled forty-eight hours without resting, with a huge silver three penny piece upon his back. His parents were glad to see him, especially when he was the bearer of so large a sum of money. They placed him in a walnut-shell by the fireside, and feasted him on a hazel-nut for three days.

When Tom recovered his strength, his duty told him it was time to return to court; but there had been such a heavy fall of rain that he could not travel; so his mother opened the window, when the wind was blowing in the proper direction, and gave him a puff, which soon carried him to the king's palace. There Tom exerted himself so much at tilts and tournaments, for the diversion of the king, queen, and nobility, that he brought on a fit of sick

ness, and his life was despaired of. The queen of the fairies having heard of this, came in a chariot, drawn by flying mice, and placing Tom by her side, she drove back through the air, without stopping, to her own home.

The child soon recovered health and strength in fairy-land, and much enjoyed the diversions which were prepared for his amusement in that happy country. After awhile the queen sent him back to the king, floating upon a current of air, which she caused to be ready for the journey. Just as Tom was flying over the palace yard, the cook passed along with a great bowl of the king's favorite dish, furmenty, and poor Tom fell plumb into the middle of it, and splashed the hot furmenty into the cook's eyes, making him let fall the bowl. "Oh dear! oh dear!" cried Tom. "Murder! murder!" cried the cook, as the king's dainty furmenty ran into the dogs' kennel.

The cook was a red-faced, cross fellow, and swore to the king that Tom had done it out of some evil design; so he was taken up, tried for high treason, and sentenced to be beheaded. Just as this dreadful sentence was given, it happened that a miller was standing by, with his mouth wide open; so Tom took a good spring and jumped down his

throat, unseen by any one, even by the miller himself.

The culprit being now lost, the court broke up and the miller went back to his home. 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 more frightened than the miller, and he sent in a hurry for ten other doctors and twenty wise men, who began to discuss the matter at great length, each insisting that his own explanation was the true one. The miller could not refrain from a hearty yawn, upon which Tom seized the lucky chance, and, with another bold jump, he alighted safely upon his feet on the middle of the table. The miller, in a fury, seized Tom, and threw him out of the window into the mill-stream, where he was once more swallowed up by a fish.

As happened before, the fish was caught and sold in the market to the steward of a great lord. The nobleman, seeing such a fine fish, sent it as a present to the king, who ordered it to be cooked for dinner.

When the fish was opened, Tom found himself once more in the hands of the cook, who imme

diately ran with him to the king; but the king being busy with state affairs, ordered him to be brought another day. The cook, to be sure of the prisoner, put him into a mouse-trap, where he remained seven days. After that, the king sent for him, forgave him for throwing down the furmenty, ordered him a new suit of clothes, gave him a spirited hunter, and knighted him.

His shirt was made of butterflies' wings;
His boots were made of chickens' skins;
His coat and breeches were made with pride;
A tailor's needle hung by his side;

A mouse for a horse he used to ride.

Thus dressed and mounted, he rode a-hunting with the king and nobility, who all laughed heartily at Tom and his fine prancing steed.

One fine day, as they passed an old farm-house, a large black cat jumped out and seized both Tom and his steed, and began to devour the poor mouse. Tom drew his sword, and boldly attacked the cat. 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, and his clothes were torn by the claws of the cat. In this condition he was carried in the palace and

laid on a bed of down in a beautiful ivory cabinet. The queen of the fairies then came and took him to fairy-land again, where she kept him for some years; after which, dressing him in bright green, she sent him once more flying through the air to the earth. People flocked far and near to look at Tom Thumb, and he was carried before King Thunstone, who had succeeded to the throne, King Arthur being dead.

The king asked him who he was, whence he came, and where he lived. Tom answered:

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My name is Tom Thumb,
From the fairies I've come.
When King Arthur shone,
This court was my home;
In me he delighted,

By him I was knighted;

Did you never once hear of Sir Thomas Thumb ?"

The king was charmed with this speech. He caused a little chair to be made, in order that Tom might sit on his table; 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 got a coach also. She made up her mind to ruin Tom, and told the king that