The Beacon Second Reader | Page 4

Little birds are safest Sitting in a tree." "I don't care," said
Robin, And gave his tail a fling, "I don't think the old folks Know quite
everything." Down he flew, and kitty seized him Before he'd time to
blink; "Oh," he cried, "I'm sorry, But I didn't think."
PHOEBE CARY
[Illustration]

[Illustration]
TOM THUMB--I
thumb people suit reins fought frightened brought thistledown
In the days of King Arthur, there lived a wise man named Merlin.
He knew all the fairies and where they lived.
Even the fairy queen was a friend of his.
Once, while he was traveling, night overtook him in a deep forest.

He rapped at the door of a small cottage and asked for some food.
Merlin looked so hungry and poor that the farmer and his wife took
pity on him.
They not only gave him a bowl of milk with some brown bread, but
they said he might stay through the night.
Merlin saw that, in spite of their pleasant cottage, both the farmer and
his wife were very sad.
"Why are you sad?" asked Merlin.
"You seem to have a good farm, a pleasant cottage, and many things to
make you happy."
"Ah!" said the woman, "we are unhappy because we have no child.
I should be the happiest woman in the world if I had a son.
Why, even if he were no bigger than my husband's thumb, we should
love him dearly."
"That would be indeed a very strange kind of child," said Merlin, "but I
hope you may have your wish."
Now Merlin was on his way to call on the queen of the fairies.
When he came to her castle the next day, he told the fairy queen the
wish of the farmer's wife.
The queen of the fairies said, "The good woman shall have her wish. I
will give her a son no larger than her husband's thumb."
TOM THUMB--II
Soon after this the good farmer's wife had a son. He was, indeed, just
the size of his father's thumb.
People came from far and wide to see the tiny boy.
One day the fairy queen and some other fairies came to see him.
The queen kissed the little boy and named him Tom Thumb.
[Illustration]
Each of the other fairies made Tom a gift.
He had a shirt made of silk from a spider's web, a coat of thistledown, a
hat made from the leaf of an oak, tiny shoes made from a mouse's skin,
and many other gifts besides.
Tom never grew any larger than a man's thumb, but he could do many
clever tricks.
One day his mother was mixing a pudding.
Tom leaned over the edge of the bowl to see how it was made.
He slipped, and in he went, head first.

His mother did not see him fall, and kept stirring and stirring the
pudding.
Tom could not see nor hear, but he kicked and kicked inside the
pudding.
The pudding moved and tossed about.
His mother was afraid.
She did not know what to think.
"There must be witches in it," she said.
She went to the window to throw the pudding out.
Just then a poor beggar was passing by the house.
"Here is a pudding you may have, if you like," said Tom's mother.
The beggar thanked her and put it into his basket.
He had not gone very far, when Tom got his head out of the pudding
and shouted in a shrill voice:
"Take me out! take me out!"
The poor beggar was so frightened that he dropped his basket, pudding
and all, and ran off as fast as he could.
Tom crawled out of the pudding, climbed out of the basket, and ran
home.
His mother washed him and put him to bed.
TOM THUMB--III
Not long after this Tom's mother took him with her when she went to
milk the cow.
That he might not get lost, she tied him to a wisp of hay.
When Tom's mother was not looking, the cow took the wisp of hay into
her mouth.
She began to chew and chew.
Tom began to jump about and shout.
He frightened the cow so that she opened her great mouth and out Tom
jumped.
Then Tom's mother took him in her apron and ran with him to the
house, but he was not hurt in the least.
[Illustration]
One day Tom was in the field helping his father.
"Let me drive the horse home," said Tom "You drive the horse!" said
his father.
"How could you hold the reins?"

"I could stand in the horse's ear and tell him which way to go," said
Tom.
So his father put him in the horse's ear, and he drove safely home.
"Mother! mother!" cried