Tom Thumb Story 

This is a story that took place in the days of King Arthur. There was one man who lived in the kingdom of King Arthur. He was called Merlin. He was a very wise man and knew many people. He knew many kings and queens and elves and fairies. Everyone respected him and adored him.

One day, he set out to go hunting. On the way, he got caught in a rain and ran into the house of a young couple. The couple indeed looked after him very well. Gave him delicious food to eat and made a nice little bed to sleep in. Merlin slept the night in their house and in the morning when he was just about to leave he noticed that though the couple had every comfort in their life they were somewhat sad.

Merlin asked them, “Why are you sad thus? What troubles you so much though you have all the joys of life?’

“My dear sir, it is very true that we have all pleasures of life. But we are deprived of a child. I would be happy with just one child even if it is as small as my husband’s thumb” answered the woman.

“It sounds like a very strange wish. But you shall have it,” answered Merlin.

Having said so, he straight away went to one of the best fairies he knew. He proposed the small wish what the husband and wife had and the fairy happily granted it. The couple soon had a baby who was not bigger than his father's thumb like how the couple had really wished for. His parents didn’t really mind it and named him Tom. Tom grew up with a lot of love and affection poured by his parent. He was given a number of gifts by his neighbors as well. 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.

He lived very happily with his parents. One day, his mother was making a pudding. He leaned over the bowl to find out how the pudding looked but accidentally slipped and fell into it.

“Mom, Mom!” he shouted.

But his voice was so feeble that she didn’t hear it. She began to mix it and eventually started whipping. Tom began to jump and shout. Mom quite didn’t realize it. She thought there must be witches in the pudding and immediately gave it to a beggar. The beggar carried it in a bowl.

Tom continued to jump and shout, “Please take me out of this bowl.”

The beggar got scared and threw the pudding out of the bowl and ran away. Tom walked back to his house and his mother feeling sad at what she did took him, gave him a nice bath, and put him to sleep. Not long after this Tom’s mother took him with her when she went to milk the cow. Hoping 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 Tom jumped out. Then Tom’s mother took him in her apron and ran with him to the house. But he was not hurt in the least.

One day Tom Thumb was in the field helping his father. When the horse was about to be driven home, Tom said, “Papa, Papa, let me ride the horse home?”

But the father said, "'You? How will you ride the horse home?”

He said, “I can. I will sit on its ears and direct it correctly,” said he.

So his father put him in the horse’s ear and he drove safely home.

“Mother! mother!!” cried Tom.

But when Tom’s mother came out, she could see no one. She got afraid.

“Where are you Tom?” she cried.

“Here I am in the horse’s ear. Please take me down,” said Tom.

His mother lifted him gently down, kissed him, and gave him a blackberry for supper. Tom’s father made him a whip out of a straw. Tom Thumb tried to drive the cows, but he fell into a deep ditch. They're a great bird saw him and thought he was a mouse. The bird seized Tom in her claws and carried him toward her nest. As they were passing over the sea, Tom got away and fell into the water of the sea where a great fish swallowed him at one mouthful. Soon after this, the fish was caught and it was such a big one that it was sent at once to King Arthur. When the cook cut open the fish, out jumped Tom Thumb. Tom was brought before the king and his story told. The king grew very fond of Tom and his wise sayings. He took Tom with him wherever he went. If it began to rain, Tom would creep into the king’s pocket and sleep until the rain was over. The king had a new suit made for Tom and gave him a needle for a sword. A mouse was trained for Tom to ride. The king and queen never tired of seeing him ride his queer little horse and bravely wave his sword.

One day, as they were going hunting, a cat jumped out and caught Tom’s mouse. Tom drew his sword and tried to drive the cat away. The king ran to help poor Tom and the cat ran away. Tom Thumb was scratched and bitten. Tom was put to bed. But he did not die.

But the king made sure that he would not get into trouble again. But here do not end Tom’s adventures. He remained as naughty as ever.