a
pill!

He began, however, to repent very soon, for Tom kicked and struggled in
the giant's inside as he had done in the red cow's throat until the
giant felt quite squeamish, and finally got rid of Tom by being sick
over the battlements into the sea.

And here, doubtless, would have been Tom Thumb's end by drowning, had
not a big fish, thinking that he was a shrimp, rushed at him and gulped
him down!

Now by good chance some fishermen were standing by with their nets, and
when they drew them in, the fish that had swallowed Tom was one of the
haul. Being a very fine fish it was sent to the Court kitchen, where,
when the fish was opened, out popped Tom on the dresser, as spry as
spry, to the astonishment of the cook and the scullions! Never had such
a mite of a man been seen, while his quips and pranks kept the whole
buttery in roars of laughter. What is more, he soon became the favourite
of the whole Court, and when the King went out a-riding Tom sat in the
Royal waistcoat pocket ready to amuse Royalty and the Knights of the
Round Table.

After a while, however, Tom wearied to see his parents again; so the
King gave him leave to go home and take with him as much money as he
could carry. Tom therefore chose a threepenny bit, and putting it into a
purse made of a water bubble, lifted it with difficulty on to his back,
and trudged away to his father's house, which was some half a mile
distant.

It took him two days and two nights to cover the ground, and he was fair
outwearied by his heavy burden ere he reached home. However, his mother
put him to rest in a walnut shell by the fire and gave him a whole hazel
nut to eat; which, sad to say, disagreed with him dreadfully. However,
he recovered in some measure, but had grown so thin and light that to
save him the trouble of walking back to the Court, his mother tied him
to a dandelion-clock, and as there was a high wind, away he went as if
on wings. Unfortunately, however, just as he was flying low in order to
alight, the Court cook, an ill-natured fellow, was coming across the
palace yard with a bowl of hot furmenty for the King's supper. Now Tom
was unskilled in the handling of dandelion horses, so what should happen
but that he rode straight into the furmenty, spilt the half of it, and
splashed the other half, scalding hot, into the cook's face.

He was in a fine rage, and going straight to King Arthur said that Tom,
at his old antics, had done it on purpose.

N