THE TRAVELS OF TOM THUMB
There lived a tailor who had only one son, and he was extremely small,
not any larger than your thumb, and so was called Tom Thumb.
However, he was a courageous little fellow, and he told his father,
"Father, I am determined to go into the world to seek my fortune."
"Very well, my son," answered the old man, and taking a big darning
needle, he made a top to it of sealing wax, and gave it to Tom Thumb,
saying:
"There is a sword for you to use to defend yourself on your
journeyings."
Then the little fellow, desiring to dine once more with his parents,
popped into the kitchen to find out what his mother was preparing for
his last dinner at home. All the dishes were ready to be taken in, and
they were standing upon the hearth.
"What is it you have for dinner, dear mother?" he inquired.
"You can look for yourself," she replied.
Then Tom sprang up on to the hob, and peeped into all the dishes, but
over one he leant so far, that he was carried up by the steam through
the chimney, and then for some distance he floated on the smoke, but
after a while he fell upon the ground once more.
Now, at last, Tom Thumb was really out in the wide world, and he went on
cheerily, and after a time was engaged by a master tailor; but here the
food was not so good as his mother's, and it was not to his taste.
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