amused the
king and queen, but also all the knights of the Round Table.

It is said that when the kind rode out on horseback he often took
Tom along with him, and if a shower came on he used to creep into his
majesty's waistcoat pocket, where he slept till the rain was over.

King Arthur one day asked Tom about his parents, wishing to know if they
were as small as he was, and whether rich or poor. Tom told the king
that his father and mother were as tall as any of the persons about
the court, but rather poor. On hearing this the king carried Tom to the
treasure, the place where he kept all his money, and told him to take
as much money as he could carry home to his parents, which made the poor
little fellow caper with joy. Tom went immediately to fetch a purse,
which was made of a water-bubble, and then returned to the treasury,
where he got a silver three-penny-piece to put into it.

Our little hero had some trouble in lifting the burden upon his back;
but he at last succeeded in getting it placed to his mind, and set
forward on his journey. However, without meeting with any accidents, and
after resting himself more than a hundred times by the way, in two days
and two nights he reached his father's house in safety.

Tom had travelled forty-eight hours with a huge silver-piece on his
back, and was almost tired to death, when his mother ran out to meet
him, and carried him into the house.

Tom's parents were both happy to see him, and the more so as he had
brought such an amazing sum of money with him; but the poor little
fellow was excessively wearied, having travelled half a mile in
forty-eight hours, with a huge silver three-penny-piece on his back.
His mother, in order to recover him, placed him in a walnut shell by the
fireside, and feasted him for three days on a hazel nut, which made him
very sick; for a whole nut used to serve him a month.

Tom was soon well again; but as there had been a fall of rain, and the
ground was very wet, he could not travel back to King Arthur's court;
therefore his mother, one day when the wind was blowing in that
direction, made a little parasol of cambric paper, and tying Tom to it,
she gave him a puff into the air with her mouth, which soon carried him
to the king's palace.

Just at the time when Tom came flying across the courtyard, the cook
happened to be passing with the king's great bowl of furmenty, which was
a dish his majesty was very fond of; but unfortunately the poo