The king was so charmed with this address, that he ordered a little chair to be made, in order that Tom might sit on his table, and also a palace of gold a span high, with a door an inch wide, for little Tom to live in.  He also gave him a coach drawn by six small mice.  This made the queen angry, because she had not a new coach too.  Therefore, resolving to ruin Tom, she complained to the king that he had behaved very insolently to her.  The king sent for him in a rage.  Tom, to escape his fury, crept into an empty snail-shell, and there lay till he was almost starved; when peeping out of the shell, he saw a fine butterfly settled on the ground.  He now ventured out, and getting astride, the butterfly took wing, and mounted into the air with little Tom on his back.  Away he flew from field to field, from tree to tree, till at last he flew to the king’s court.  The king, queen, and nobles, all strove to catch the butterfly, but could not.  At length poor Tom, having neither bridle nor saddle, slipped from his seat, and fell into a white pot, where he was found almost drowned.  The queen vowed he should be guillotined:  but while the guillotine was getting ready, he was secured once more in a mouse-trap; when the cat seeing something stir, and supposing it to be the mouse, patted the trap about till she broke it, and set Tom at liberty.  Soon afterwards a spider, taking him for a fly, made at him.  Tom drew his sword and fought valiantly, but the spider’s poisonous breath overcame him: 

  “He fell dead on the ground where late he had stood,
   And the spider sucked up the last drop of his blood.”

King Thunstone and his whole court went into mourning for little Tom Thumb.  They buried him under a rosebush, and raised a nice white marble monument over his grave, with the following epitaph: 

  “Here lies Tom Thumb, King Arthur’s knight,
   Who died by spider’s cruel bite. 
   He was well known in Arthur’s court,
   Where he afforded gallant sport;
   He rode at tilt and tournament,
   And on a mouse a hunting went;
   Alive he filled the court with mirth,
   His death to sorrow soon gave birth. 
   Wipe, wipe your eyes, and shake your head
   And cry, ‘Alas!  Tom Thumb is dead.’”

CHAPTER XIII

BLUE BEARD

There was, some time ago, a gentleman who was very rich.  He had fine town and country houses, his dishes and plates were all of gold or silver, his rooms were hung with damask, his chairs and sofas were covered with the richest silks, and his carriages were all gilt with gold in a grand style.  But it happened that this gentleman had a blue beard, which made him so very frightful and ugly, that none of the ladies, in the parts where he lived, would venture to go into his company.  Now there was a certain lady of rank, who lived very near him, and had two daughters, both of them of very great beauty.  Blue Beard