ain they wanted to make, crept up his father's coat to his shoulder
and whispered in his ear, 'Take the money, father, and let them have me;
I'll soon come back to you.'

So the woodman at last said he would sell Tom to the strangers for a
large piece of gold, and they paid the price. 'Where would you like to
sit?' said one of them. 'Oh, put me on the rim of your hat; that will be
a nice gallery for me; I can walk about there and see the country as we
go along.' So they did as he wished; and when Tom had taken leave of his
father they took him away with them.

They journeyed on till it began to be dusky, and then the little man
said, 'Let me get down, I'm tired.' So the man took off his hat, and
put him down on a clod of earth, in a ploughed field by the side of the
road. But Tom ran about amongst the furrows, and at last slipped into
an old mouse-hole. 'Good night, my masters!' said he, 'I'm off! mind and
look sharp after me the next time.' Then they ran at once to the place,
and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole, but all in vain;
Tom only crawled farther and farther in; and at last it became quite
dark, so that they were forced to go their way without their prize, as
sulky as could be.

When Tom found they were gone, he came out of his hiding-place. 'What
dangerous walking it is,' said he, 'in this ploughed field! If I were to
fall from one of these great clods, I should undoubtedly break my neck.'
At last, by good luck, he found a large empty snail-shell. 'This is
lucky,' said he, 'I can sleep here very well'; and in he crept.

Just as he was falling asleep, he heard two men passing by, chatting
together; and one said to the other, 'How can we rob that rich parson's
house of his silver and gold?' 'I'll tell you!' cried Tom. 'What noise
was that?' said the thief, frightened; 'I'm sure I heard someone speak.'
They stood still listening, and Tom said, 'Take me with you, and I'll
soon show you how to get the parson's money.' 'But where are you?' said
they. 'Look about on the ground,' answered he, 'and listen where the
sound comes from.' At last the thieves found him out, and lifted him
up in their hands. 'You little urchin!' they said, 'what can you do for
us?' 'Why, I can get between the iron window-bars of the parson's house,
and throw you out whatever you want.' 'That's a good thought,' said the
thieves; 'come along, we shall see what you can do.'

When they came to the parson's house, Tom slipped