Page:Comical and merry tricks of Tom Thumb, the wonderful (2).pdf/5



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wonderful to relate! was not a bit bigger than his father's thumb. The fairy queen, who had taken an in- terest in the little fellow, came in at the window while the mother was sitting up                   in the bed admiring him. The queen kissed the child, and, giving it the name of Tom Thumb, sent for some of the fair- ies, who dressed her little favourite accord- ing to the instructions she gave them;

An oak-leaf hat he had for his crown; His shirt of web by spiders spun; With jacket wove of thistle's down; His trowsers were of feathers done. His stockings, of apple-rind, they tie With eyelash from his mother's eye: His shoes were made of mouse's skin, Tann'd with the downy hair within.

It is remarkable, that Tom never grew any larger than his father's thumb, which was only of an ordinary size; but as he                  got older he became very cunning and full of tricks. When he was old enough to play with the boys, and had lost all his own cherry-stones, he used to creep into the bags of his playfellows, fill his pockets