des of the giant, miller, and
fishes, his majesty ordered him a new suit of clothes, and to be mounted
as a knight.

"Of Butterfly's wings his shirt was made,
His boots of chicken's hide;
And by a nimble fairy blade,
Well learned in the tailoring trade,

His clothing was supplied.--
A needle dangled by his side;
A dapper mouse he used to ride,
Thus strutted Tom in stately pride!"

It was certainly very diverting to see Tom in this dress, and
mounted on the mouse, as he rode out a-hunting with the king and
nobility, who were all ready to expire with laughter at Tom and his fine
prancing charger.

One day, as they were riding by a farmhouse, a large cat, which was
lurking about the door, made a spring, and seized both Tom and his
mouse. She then ran up a tree with them, and was beginning to devour the
mouse; but Tom boldly drew his sword, and attacked the cat so fiercely
that she let them both fall, when one of the nobles caught him in his
hat, and laid him on a bed of down, in a little ivory cabinet.

The queen of fairies came soon after to pay Tom a visit, and carried him
back to Fairy-land, where he lived several years. During his residence
there, King Arthur, and all the persons who knew Tom, had died; and as
he was desirous of being again at court, the fairy queen, after dressing
him in a suit of clothes, sent him flying through the air to the palace,
in the days of king Thunstone, the successor of Arthur. Every one
flocked round to see him, and being carried to the king, he was asked
who he was--whence he came--and where he lived? Tom answered:

"My name is Tom Thumb,
From the fairies I've come.
When King Arthur shone,
His court was my home.
In me he delighted,
By him I was knighted;
Did you never hear of Sir Thomas Thumb?"

The king was so charmed with this address that he ordered a little
chair to be made, in order that Tom might sit upon his table, and also
a palace of gold, a span high, with a door an inch wide, to live in. He
also gave him a coach, drawn by six small mice.

The queen was so enraged at the honor paid to Sir Thomas that she
resolved to ruin him, and told the king that the little knight had been
saucy to her.

The king sent for Tom in great haste, but being fully aware of the
danger of royal anger, he crept into an empty snail-shell, where he lay
for a long time, until he was almost starved with hunger; but at last he
ventur