New History of the Life and Adventures of Tom Thumb — Reading Notes

uch amused with the idea of a boy no bigger than a man’s thumb, and sending for the queen of the fairies, he told her of the desire of the plowman’s wife. The queen was no less pleased than Merlin, and she said the wish should be granted. Accordingly, the plowman’s wife had a son, who was just the size of his father’s thumb, and was named by the queen, TOM THUMB.

One day his mother was making a pudding, and that he might see how it was made, Tom climbed on the top of the bowl; but his foot happening to slip, he fell over head and ears into it, and his mother not seeing him, she stirred him into the batter, and then popped the whole into the pot.

The hot water made Tom kick and struggle, and his mother, seeing the pudding jump up and down in the pot, thought it was bewitched. A pedlar going by at that moment, she gave him the pudding, which he put in his pack and then walked on. As soon as Tom could get the batter out of his mouth, he began to cry out. This so frightened the pedler that he flung the pudding over a fence, and took to his heels. The pudding was broken by the fall, and poor Tom crawled out and ran home.

Tom never was any bigger; but as he grew older he grew cunning and sly. When he played with boys for cherry-stones, and had lost his own, he used to creep into his playmates’ bags, fill his pockets, and come out to play again. One day, as he was doing this, the owner chanced to see him. “Ah, ha, my little Tom,” said he, “I have caught you at last; now I will punish you for stealing.” So he drew the bag-string tight about his neck, and then shaking the bag, Tom’s legs and thighs were so sadly bruised, that he was thrown into a raging fever.

Just at this time the queen of the fairies came in a coach drawn by six flying mice, and placing Tom by her side, drove through the air to her palace in fairy land, where she kept him till he was restored to health. Then, taking advantage of a fair wind, she blew him straight to the court of king Arthur. But just as Tom was about to land in the palace-yard, the king’s cook happened to pass with a huge bowl of soup, into which Tom fell plump, and splashed the hot soup all in the cook’s face and eyes.

“Oh, dear! Oh, dear!” cried Tom, half scalded and half drowned in his hot bath; “murder! murder! murder!” bellowed the cook, who was a cross, red-faced old fellow, and supposed Tom had done all this mischief on purpose. Determined to be revenged on the little fellow for the imaginary insult, he urged his brother, who was a miller, and as cross and cruel as himself, to take little Tom home with him, and put him where he could do no more mischief.

Accordingly, the miller pocketed Tom, and carrying him to his mill, dropped him from a window into the river. But Tom was not born to be drowned. A large salmon swimming by at that moment, caught him in its mouth and swallowed him without any trouble.

The salmon was soon caught, and being a fine large fish, was presented to the king, who ordered it to be dressed immediately. When it was cut open, every body was delighted to see little Tom Thumb step out. He soon became the favorite of the king, who knighted him, and gave him a little golden palace to live in, and also a tiny coach, which was drawn by six white mice.

King Arthur one day questioned Tom about his parents, and Tom informed his majesty that they were worthy people, but very poor. Then the king led him into his treasury, and showing him the piles of gold and silver, told him he might pay his parents a visit, and take with him as much money as he could carry! Accordingly, Tom procured a little purse, and putting a sixpence into it, he with much labor and difficulty got the purse upon his back and started for home.

His mother met him at the door, where he arrived almost tired to death, having traveled nearly half a mile, with a huge sixpence on his back. His parents were delighted to see him, especially as he brought such an amazing sum of money.