The king also sometimes questioned Tom
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 his friends a visit, and take with him as much money as he
could carry. Tom procured a little purse, and putting a threepenny
piece into it, with much labour and difficulty got it upon his back;
and after travelling two days and nights, arrived at his father's
house. His mother met him at the door, almost tired to death, having
in forty-eight hours travelled almost half a mile with a huge silver
threepence upon his back. Both his parents were glad to see him,
especially when he had brought such an amazing sum of money with him.
They placed him in a walnut-shell by the fireside, and feasted him for
three days upon a hazel-nut, which made him sick, for a whole nut
usually served him for a month. Tom got well, but could not travel
because it had rained: therefore his mother took him in her hand, and
with one puff blew him into King Arthur's court; where Tom entertained
the king, queen, and nobility at tilts and tournaments, at which he
exerted himself so much that he brought on a fit of sickness, and his
life was despaired of. At this juncture the queen of the fairies came
in a chariot, drawn by flying mice, placed Tom by her side, and drove
through the air, without stopping till they arrived at her palace;
when, after restoring him to health and permitting him to enjoy all
the gay diversions of Fairyland, she commanded a fair wind, and,
placing Tom before it, blew him straight to the court of King Arthur.
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