Shortly afterwards Tom’s mother was making a batter pudding, and, that he might see how she mixed it, he climbed up to the edge of the bowl, but his foot happening to slip he fell over head and ears into the batter, and his mother not observing him, stirred him into the pudding and popped it all into the pot to boil.  The hot water made Tom kick and struggle; and his mother, seeing the pudding jump up and down, thought it was bewitched.  A tinker was going by just at the time, so she gave him the pudding, and he put it into his budget and walked away.  As soon as Tom could get the batter out of his mouth he began to cry aloud; this so frightened the poor tinker that he flung the pudding over the hedge.  The pudding being broken by the fall Tom was released, and walked home to his mother, who gave him a kiss and put him to bed.

Tom Thumb’s mother once took him with her when she went to milk the cow; it being a very windy day, she tied him with a needleful of thread to a thistle.  The cow, liking his oak-leaf hat, took him and the thistle up at one mouthful.  While the cow was chewing the thistle, Tom, terrified at her great teeth, cried out, “Mother! mother!”

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“Where are you, Tommy, my dear Tommy?” said the mother.

“Here, mother; here in the red cow’s mouth.”

The mother began to cry and wring her hands; but the cow, surprised at such odd noises in her throat, opened her mouth and let him drop out.  His mother clapped him into her apron and ran home with him.

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Tom’s father made him a whip of barley-straw to drive the cattle with, and one day in the field Tom slipped into a deep furrow.  A raven flying over picked him up with a grain of corn, and flew with him to the top of the giant’s castle by the seaside, where he left him.  Old Grumbo, the giant, came out soon afterwards, 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.

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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.

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