" Then drawing the
string tight round his neck, and shaking the bag, the cherry-stones
bruised Tom's legs, thighs, and body sadly; which made him beg to be
let out, and promise never to be guilty of such things any more.
Shortly afterwards Tom's mother was making a batter-pudding, and that
he might see how she mixed it, he climbed on 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 him into the pot to boil. The hot water made Tom
kick and struggle; and his mother, seeing the pudding jump up and down
in such a furious manner, thought it was bewitched; and a tinker
coming by just at the time, she quickly gave him the pudding; he put
it into his budget, and walked on.
As soon as Tom could get the batter out of his mouth, he began to cry
aloud, which so frightened the poor tinker, that he flung the pudding
over the hedge, and ran away from it as fast as he could. The pudding
being broken to pieces 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; and it being a very windy day, she tied him with a needleful of
thread to a thistle, that he might not be blown away. The cow, liking
his oak-leaf hat, took him and the thistle up at one mouthful.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121