as usual, the boy to whom it belonged
chanced to see him. "Ah, ha! my little Tommy," said the boy, "so I
have caught you stealing my cherry-stones at last, and you shall be
rewarded for your thievish tricks." On saying this, he drew the string
tight round his neck, and gave the bag such a hearty shake, that poor
little Tom's legs, thighs, and body were sadly bruised. He roared out
with the pain, and begged to be let out, promising never to be guilty
of such bad practices again.

A short time afterwards his mother was making a batter pudding, and
Tom being very anxious to see how it was made, climbed up to the edge
of the bowl; but unfortunately his foot slipped and he plumped over
head and ears into the batter, unseen by his mother, who stirred him
into the pudding-bag, and put him in the pot to boil.

The batter had filled Tom's mouth, and prevented him from crying; but,
on feeling the hot water, he kicked and struggled so much in the pot,
that his mother thought that the pudding was bewitched, and, instantly
pulling it out of the pot, she threw it to the door. A poor tinker,
who was passing by, lifted up the pudding, and, putting it into his
budget, he then walked off. As Tom had now got his mouth cleared of
the batter, he then began to cry aloud, which so frightened the tinker
that he flung down the pudding and ran away. The pudding being broke
to pieces by the fall, Tom crept out covered over with the batter, and
with difficulty walked home. His mother, who was very sorry to see her
darling in such a woful state, put him into a tea-cup, and soon washed
off the batter; after which she kissed him, and laid him in bed.

Soon after the adventure of the pudding, Tom's mother went to milk her
cow in the meadow, and she took him along with her. As the wind was
very high, fearing lest he should be blown away, she tied him to a
thistle with a piece of fine thread. The cow soon saw the oak-leaf
hat, and, liking the look of it, took poor Tom and the thistle at one
mouthful. While the cow was chewing the thistle Tom was afraid of her
great teeth, which threatened to crush him to pieces, and he roared
out as loud as he could, "Mother, mother!"

"Where are you, Tommy, my dear Tommy?" said his mother.

"Here, mother," replied he, "in the cow's mouth."

His mother began to cry and wring her hands; but the cow, surprised
at the odd noise in her throat, opened her mouth and let Tom drop out.
Fortunately his mother caught him i