and prevented him from calling out, but he had no sooner felt the hot water, than he kicked and struggled so much that the pudding jumped about in the pot, and his mother, thinking the pudding was bewitched, was nearly frightened out of her wits.  Pulling it out of the pot, she ran with it to her door, and gave it to a tinker who was passing.  He was very thankful for it, and looked forward to having a better dinner than he had enjoyed for many a long day.  But his pleasure did not last long, for, as he was getting over a stile, he happened to sneeze very hard, and Tom, who had been quite quiet inside the pudding for some time, called out at the top of his little voice, “Hallo, Pickens!” This so terrified the tinker that he flung away the pudding, and ran off as fast as he could.  The pudding was all broken to pieces by the fall, and Tom crept out, covered with batter, and ran home to his mother, who had been looking everywhere for him, and was delighted to see him again.  She gave him a bath in a cup, which soon washed off all the pudding, and he was none the worse for his adventure.

A few days after this, Tom accompanied his mother when she went into the fields to milk the cows, and, fearing he might be blown away by the wind, she tied him to a sow-thistle with a little piece of thread.  While she was milking, a cow came by, bit off the thistle, and swallowed up Tom.  Poor Tom did not like her big teeth, and called out loudly, “Mother, mother!” “But where are you, Tommy, my dear Tommy?” cried out his mother, wringing her hands.  “Here, mother,” he shouted, “inside the red cow’s mouth!” And, saying that, he began to kick and scratch till the poor cow was nearly mad, and at length tumbled him out of her mouth.  On seeing this, his mother rushed to him, caught him in her arms, and carried him safely home.

Some days after this, his father took him to the fields a-ploughing, and gave him a whip, made of a barley straw, with which to drive the oxen; but little Tom was soon lost in a furrow.  An eagle seeing him, picked him up and flew with him to the top of a hill where stood a giant’s castle.  The giant put him at once into his mouth, intending to swallow him up, but Tom made such a great disturbance when he got inside that the monster was soon glad to get rid of him, and threw him far away into the sea.  But he was not drowned, for he had scarcely touched the water before he was swallowed by a large fish, which was shortly afterwards captured and brought to King Arthur, as a present, by the fisherman.  When the fish was opened, everyone was astonished at finding Tom inside.  He was at once carried to the King, who made him his Court dwarf.

    Long time he lived in jollity,
      Beloved of the Court,
    And none like Tom was so esteemed
      Amongst the better sort.

The Queen was delighted with the little boy, and made him dance a gaillard on her left hand.  He danced so well that King Arthur gave him a ring, which he wore round his waist like a girdle.