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 40 TOM THUMB.

thinking iiie wolf would not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called out, "My good friend, I can show you a famous treat," "Where's that?" said the wolf. "In such and such a house," said Tom, describing his fisither's house, "you cafiL crawl through the drain into the kitchen, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, and everything your heart can desire.** The wolf did not want to be asked twice ; so that very night he -i^ent to the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen, and ate and drank there to his heart's content. As soon as he was satisfied, he wanted to get away ; but he had eaten so much that he could not get out the same way as he came in. This was just what Tom had reckoned upon ; and he now began to set up a great shout, making all the noise he could. "Will you be quiet?" said the wolf: "you'll awaken everybody in the house." " What's that to me ? " said the little man: "you have had your frolic, now I've a mind to be merry myself;" and he began again singing and shouting as loud as he could.

The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped through a crack in the door; but when they saw that the wolf was there, you may well suppose that they were terribly frightened ; and the woodman lun for his axe, and gave his wife a scythe. — " Now do you stay behind," said the woodman ; " and when I have knocked him on the head, do you rip up his belly for him with the scythe.'* Tom heard all this, and said, " Father, father I I am here, the wolf has swallowed me :" and his father said, " Heaven be praised ! we have found our dear child again;" and he told his wife not to use the scythe, for fear she should hurt him. Then he aimed a» great blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him oni the spot; and when he was dead they cut open his body and set Tonmiy free. "Ah I" said the father, "what fears we have had for