nyone in the house, that Little Thumb was very
much afraid. So he climbed out through the window and hid in the barn in
the hay.

It is best for little people to stay out of harm's way; the queerest
things may happen. While our small adventurer was peacefully sleeping,
the milkmaid came to give the cattle their morning fodder. As bad luck
would have it, she took the very truss of hay in which Tom lay; and he
awoke with a start to find himself in the cow's great mouth, in danger
of being crushed at any minute by her tremendous teeth. He dodged back
and forth in terror; and it was a relief when the cow gave one big
swallow, and he slid down into her roomy stomach.

[Illustration]

It was dark and moist down there, however, and more hay came down with
every swallow; so Tom called out with all his might: "No more hay,
please! no more hay!"

The milkmaid screamed, and ran to the house, telling everyone that the
cow had been talking to her just like a man.

"Nonsense," said the rector; "cows do not talk." Nevertheless, he went
to the cow-shed. No sooner had he stepped inside the door than the cow
lifted her head, and a voice called in great distress: "No more hay,
please! no more hay!"

"Alas," cried the rector, "my beautiful cow is bewitched! It is best to
kill her before she makes mischief with the other cows."

So the cow was slaughtered, and the stomach, with Little Thumb inside,
was flung away.

"Now, I will work my way out and run home," thought Tom. But he was to
have another adventure first. He had just gotten his head free, when a
hungry wolf, attracted by the smell of the freshly-killed meat, seized
the stomach in its jaws and sprang away into the forest.

Instead of losing courage, Little Thumb began to plan a way of escape.
He decided on a bold scheme. In his loudest voice he called: "Wolf, if
you are hungry, I know where you can get a choice dinner."

"Where?" asked the wolf.

"There is a house not far away, and I know a hole through which you can
crawl into the kitchen. Once there you can eat and drink to your heart's
content."

The wolf did not know that Tom meant his own home; but the mention of
these good things to eat made him very hungry, and following Tom's
directions he quickly reached the house.

Things were exactly as promised. Tom waited till he was sure the wolf
had eaten so much that he could not get out through the hole he came in.
Then he called from inside the wolf: "Father, moth