, to walk upon his terrace,
and Tom, frightened out of his wits, managed to creep up his sleeve.
Tom's motions made the giant uncomfortable, and with a jerk of his
arm, he threw him into the sea. A great fish then swallowed him. The
fish was soon after caught, and sent as a present to King Arthur. When
it was cut open, everybody was delighted with little Tom Thumb, who
was found inside. He became the favorite of the whole court, and by
his merry pranks often amused the King and Queen.

[Illustration]

The King, when he rode on horseback, frequently took Tom in his hand;
and if a shower of rain came on, the tiny dwarf used to creep into the
King's waistcoat pocket and sleep till the rain was over. The King now
questioned him concerning his parents; and when Tom informed his
majesty they were very poor people, the King led him into his
treasury, and told him he should pay them a visit and take with him
as much money as he could carry.

[Illustration]

Tom soon got rested at his mother's house, but could not travel
because it had rained; his mother therefore took him in her hand and
carried him back to King Arthur's court. There Tom entertained the
King and Queen and nobility at tilts and tournaments, at which he
exerted himself so much that he brought on a fit of sickness. At this
juncture the Queen of the Fairies came in a chariot drawn by flying
mice, and placing Tom by her side she drove through the air till they
arrived at her palace. After restoring him to health, the Queen
commanded a fair wind, and, placing Tom before it, blew him straight
back to the court of King Arthur. But just as Tom should have alighted
in the courtyard, the cook happened to pass with the King's great
bowl of his favorite dish, furmenty, and poor Tom fell plump into the
middle of it, and splashed the hot furmenty into the cook's eyes. Down
went the bowl. "Oh, dear," cried Tom. "Murder! murder!" bellowed the
cook; and away ran the King's nice furmenty into the kennel. The cook
was a cross fellow and swore to the King that Tom had done it out of
some evil design; so he was tried for high treason and sentenced to be
beheaded. When the judge delivered this dreadful sentence it happened
that a miller was standing by with his mouth wide open, so Tom took a
good spring and jumped down his throat, unperceived by all, even by
the miller himself. As Tom could not be found the court broke up, and
away went the miller to his mill. But Tom did not le