FARMER'S WIFE CRYING BECAUSE SHE HAS NO BABY.]

So about an hour or two afterwards the woman was much surprised to see
standing by the table a very beautiful lady, dressed splendidly, with a
glittering star on her forehead and a wand in her right hand, with a
gem of great brilliancy at the top of it. But what delighted the woman
most of all was a tiny cradle, made of a walnut shell, lined with
velvet, in which lay the prettiest baby ever seen, but it was only just
as large as a man's thumb. "See," said the fairy, "your wish is granted.
Here is a baby for you. Take care of it; it is your own." The woman did
not know how to thank the fairy enough; she was so delighted, and the
queen went away quite pleased at having given so much happiness.

[Illustration: THE FAIRY QUEEN BRINGING TOM THUMB TO HIS MOTHER.]

Before the fairy went away, however, she gave the woman a little shirt
of spider's web and a doublet of thistle-down for the baby.

When the farmer came home he was very much pleased. He invited all his
friends to the christening, and the child was named "Tom," after him,
and "Thumb," because he was no bigger than one.

The baby was very well, and merry, and grew, of course; but still it was
very small.

However, at last Tom thought himself quite a great boy, and begged his
mother to make him a little suit of clothes, and she made him one; but
with a great deal of trouble, they were so small.

Tom was very often in mischief. He was so small that his mother used to
put him on the table to play; and once she found him in the salt-box.

[Illustration: TOM FALLS INTO THE PUDDING.]

One day she was making a plum-pudding, and Tom stood by the side of the
basin, and peeped over the edge; but he could not see into it very well,
and while his mother was gone for some more flour, he drew himself up on
the edge of the basin. Alas! he fell in and disappeared in the wet
pudding, which for poor Tom was a huge morass.

[Illustration: THE FALL OF THE PUDDING.]

Tom would have cried out, but the pudding stuck his lips together, and
his mother not missing him, stirred him up in the mixture, and put it
and him into the pot. Tom no sooner felt the hot water than he danced
about like mad; the woman was nearly frightened out of her wits to see
the pudding come out of the pot and jump about, and she was glad to give
it to a tinker who was passing that way. The tinker took the pudding and
put it into a cloth, to carry it home to hi