CUNNING TOM
by Clifton Johnson · from Bluebeard
Adapted Version
Once there was a boy named Tom. Tom was not a kind boy. He liked to play tricks. People did not like Tom. They did not trust him.
One day Tom asked Grandmother for money. Grandmother had much money. But she did not give him any.
That night, Tom went to the field. He took Grandmother's black cow. He took Black Lady away. He hid her in an old house. Tom fed Black Lady at night. No one saw him come.
Tom told Grandmother a lie. He said someone took her cow. Grandmother was very sad. She worried about Black Lady. She missed her cow much.
Grandmother told Tom to buy a new cow. She gave him some money. Tom would go to the fair. He must find a good cow.
Tom took some white chalk. He made it into powder. He mixed chalk with water. He rubbed it on Black Lady. Black Lady had white spots now. She looked like a new cow.
Tom took the cow to a town. He waited for a long time there. He had fun in the town. Then he took Black Lady home.
Black Lady made a loud sound. Grandmother ran outside. She thought her cow was back. But she saw white spots. She thought it was a new cow.
Next day, it rained much. The rain washed the chalk away. Black Lady was all black again. Grandmother saw her own cow. She was surprised.
Father looked at Black Lady. He saw some white chalk. Father was very angry. He told Tom to leave the house. Tom had to go away.
Tom went to many places. He still tried to trick people. He wanted their money. He did not want to work.
Tom saw many Workers. They looked for work. Tom said he would hire them. He promised them good money.
Tom told the Workers a plan. "Give me your money," he said. "I will keep it safe for you." The Workers gave Tom their money.
Tom took them to a field. It was not their field. He told them to start work. Then Tom ran away. He took all their money.
A farmer came. He saw the Workers. He asked, "Why are you working here?" The Workers told him about Tom. They knew Tom tricked them. They felt sad and angry. They had no money now.
Tom was tricky. But tricky ways make people sad. Tricky ways make people lose trust. It is better to be kind and honest.
Original Story
XIII—CUNNING TOM
Once there was a bad boy named Tom, and the older he grew, the wiser and slyer he thought himself. Many were the tricks he played until no one liked him or trusted him.
One day he asked his grandmother for some money. She had plenty, but she would not give him any. So that evening Tom went to the pasture and caught the old woman’s black cow. He took the cow to a deserted house which stood at a distance from any other, and there he kept her two or three days, giving her food and water at night when nobody would see him going and coming.
Tom made his grandmother believe that some one had stolen the cow. This was a great grief to her. At last she told the lad to buy her another cow at a fair in a neighboring town, and she gave him three pounds with which to make the purchase.
He promised to get one as near like the other as possible and went off with the money. Then he took a piece of chalk, ground it into powder, steeped it in a little water and rubbed it in spots and patches over the head and body of the cow he had hidden.
Early the next morning he took her to an inn near the fair and spent the day in pleasure. Toward evening he drove the cow home before him, and as soon as he got to his grandmother’s the cow began to bellow.
The old woman ran out rejoicing for she thought her own black cow had been found, but when she saw the spots and patches of white she sighed and exclaimed, “Alas, you’ll never be the kindly brute my Black Lady was, though you bellow exactly like her.”
“’Tis a mercy you know not what the cow says,” Tom remarked to himself, “or all would be wrong with me.”
The old woman put her cow to pasture the following morning, but there came on a heavy shower of rain, which washed away the chalk. So the old woman’s Black Lady came home at night and the new cow went away with the shower and was never heard of afterward.
But Tom’s father had some suspicions, and he looked closely at the cow’s face and found some of the chalk still remaining. Then he gave Tom a hearty beating and turned him out of the house.
Tom traveled about from place to place, and by hook or by crook contrived to make a living till he reached the size and years of a man. He was always planning ways to get hold of other people’s money, for he did not like to exert himself to earn what he needed.
Once he met a party of reapers seeking work. At once he hired the whole company of about thirty and agreed to give them a week’s reaping at ten pence a day, which was two pence higher than any had gotten that year. This made the poor reapers think he was a very honest, generous, and genteel master.
Tom took them to an inn and gave them a hearty breakfast. “Now,” he said, “there are so many of you together, it’s quite possible that while most are honest men, some may be rogues. You will have to sleep nights together in a barn, and your best plan is to give what money you have to me to keep safe for you. I’ll mark down each sum in a book opposite the name of the man whose it is, and you shall have it all when I pay you your wages.”
“Oh! very well, there’s my money, and there’s mine, and here’s mine,” they said.
Some gave him five, six, seven, and eight shillings, all they had earned through the harvest. Tom now went with them out of the village to a field of standing grain, remote from any house, and set the men at work. Then he left, telling them he was going to order dinner for them, but in reality he set off at top speed to get as far away from them as possible, lest, when they found out his trick, they should follow and overtake him.
Soon the farmer to whom the grain belonged saw the reapers in his field and came to ask what they were about. “Stop!” he cried, “I have given you no orders to reap this grain, and besides it is not ripe.”
At first they persisted in keeping on with the work, but finally the farmer convinced them that they had been fooled, and the reapers went away sorely lamenting their misfortune.
Story DNA
Moral
Those who live by deceit will eventually face consequences and lose the trust of others.
Plot Summary
Cunning Tom, a mischievous boy, tricks his grandmother by stealing her cow, disguising it with chalk, and then 'selling' it back to her with her own money. When the trick is discovered, his father beats him and casts him out. As an adult, Tom continues his deceitful ways, eventually tricking a group of reapers into entrusting him with their wages, only to abandon them after setting them to work in a stranger's field, escaping with all their money.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to comeuppance
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a time when rural communities were common, and tricksters could exploit less connected populations before widespread communication.
Plot Beats (15)
- Tom is introduced as a bad, sly boy disliked and distrusted by everyone.
- Tom asks his grandmother for money, but she refuses.
- Tom secretly takes his grandmother's black cow, hides it, and feeds it at night.
- Tom makes his grandmother believe the cow was stolen, causing her grief.
- His grandmother gives Tom three pounds to buy a new cow at the fair.
- Tom grinds chalk, mixes it with water, and rubs it on the hidden cow to disguise it.
- Tom takes the disguised cow to an inn, spends the day in pleasure, then drives it home.
- His grandmother rejoices, thinking her cow is found, but sighs at the white spots, accepting it as a new cow.
- A heavy rain washes off the chalk, revealing the cow to be the original Black Lady.
- Tom's father discovers the remaining chalk, beats Tom, and turns him out of the house.
- Tom travels, making a living by cunning, always seeking others' money.
- Tom meets a group of reapers and hires them for a week at a good wage.
- Tom convinces the reapers to entrust him with their money for safekeeping.
- Tom takes the reapers to a field of unripe grain belonging to someone else, sets them to work, and flees with their money.
- The farmer discovers the reapers, who realize they've been tricked and lament their loss.
Characters
Tom ★ protagonist
Lean build, average height, with a quick, shifty demeanor. His movements are often agile and furtive, suggesting a habit of evading detection.
Attire: Simple, practical, and somewhat worn peasant clothing typical of 19th-century rural England. Likely includes a coarse linen shirt, a waistcoat of drab wool, sturdy breeches, and scuffed leather boots. His clothes are functional for travel and manual labor, but not well-maintained.
Wants: To acquire money and comfort without exerting himself through honest labor. He wants to live a life of ease.
Flaw: Greed and overconfidence. His belief in his own cleverness often leads him to take unnecessary risks or to underestimate others.
Starts as a mischievous boy and grows into a full-fledged con artist. He does not learn from his mistakes; instead, he refines his methods of deception, becoming more adept at exploiting others.
Cunning, sly, dishonest, lazy, self-serving. He is driven by a desire for easy money and avoids honest work.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult man with a lean build and average height, facing forward. He has sharp, calculating dark eyes and a thin mouth often set in a sly smirk. His dark hair is somewhat unkempt, falling across his forehead. He wears a coarse cream linen shirt, a drab brown wool waistcoat, sturdy dark breeches, and scuffed brown leather boots. He holds a small, worn leather money pouch in one hand. He has a confident, slightly swaggering posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Grandmother ◆ supporting
A small, somewhat stooped elderly woman, likely with a frail but resilient build. Her hands might be gnarled from years of work. She moves with a slow, deliberate pace.
Attire: Traditional 19th-century English peasant attire: a long, dark wool skirt, a simple linen blouse, a practical apron, and a shawl draped over her shoulders. Her clothes are modest and well-worn but clean.
Wants: To maintain her livelihood and comfort, particularly her beloved cow. She desires peace and stability.
Flaw: Her trusting nature and emotional attachment to her possessions make her vulnerable to Tom's deceptions.
She experiences grief and then brief joy, only to have her trust betrayed. She remains largely unchanged, a victim of Tom's schemes.
Grieving, trusting (initially), somewhat naive, kind, practical. She is easily upset by loss but also quick to rejoice.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman with a small, somewhat stooped posture, facing forward. She has a wrinkled, fair face with kind, weary eyes. Her white hair is pulled back in a simple bun and covered by a plain white cap. She wears a long, dark grey wool skirt, a simple cream linen blouse, a practical dark blue apron, and a dark brown wool shawl draped over her shoulders. Her hands are slightly gnarled. She has a gentle, slightly sorrowful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Black Lady ◆ supporting
A sturdy, mature black cow of a common dairy breed, with a healthy build and a gentle demeanor. Her coat is uniformly black.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To graze and return to her familiar pasture.
Flaw: Her inability to speak or defend herself against human manipulation.
She is stolen, disguised, and then revealed to be herself. Her physical appearance changes temporarily, but her nature remains constant.
Docile, gentle, loyal (to her home), and somewhat vocal (bellowing).
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, healthy adult cow, facing forward. She has a uniformly glossy black coat, large dark eyes, and a wet, dark muzzle. She stands with a solid, grounded posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Tom's Father ◆ supporting
A man of sturdy build, likely a farmer or laborer, with a stern and observant presence. His hands are probably calloused from work.
Attire: Practical, sturdy 19th-century English peasant or farmer's clothing: a work shirt, heavy trousers, a waistcoat, and a durable jacket. His clothes are functional and well-worn.
Wants: To maintain order and honesty within his household, and to discipline his son for his misdeeds.
Flaw: His inability to truly reform Tom, leading to the drastic measure of casting him out.
He acts as an enforcer of justice, recognizing Tom's deception and taking decisive action to punish him. He remains a figure of authority.
Suspicious, observant, strict, disciplinary, just (in his own way). He does not tolerate dishonesty.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sturdy adult man with a weathered, serious face, facing forward. He has keen, suspicious dark eyes and short, practical dark hair. He wears a practical, dark blue work shirt, heavy brown trousers, a dark grey wool waistcoat, and a durable dark green jacket. His hands are calloused. He stands with a firm, authoritative posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Reapers ○ minor
A group of about thirty men, likely of varying builds but generally strong and robust from manual labor. Their faces are tanned and weathered from working outdoors.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant or farm laborer's clothing typical of 19th-century rural England: coarse linen shirts, sturdy trousers, perhaps waistcoats, and heavy boots. They might wear straw hats or caps to protect from the sun.
Wants: To earn money through honest labor to support themselves.
Flaw: Their trusting nature and eagerness for good wages make them vulnerable to Tom's deception.
They are hired, deceived, and then realize their misfortune, losing their earnings. They serve as an example of Tom's continued villainy.
Hard-working, trusting, honest, easily fooled, lamenting. They are eager for work and fair wages.
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of thirty adult men, facing forward, with sturdy builds and weathered, tanned faces. They have honest, weary eyes and practical, short dark hair, some wearing straw hats. They wear coarse cream linen shirts, sturdy brown trousers, and heavy leather boots. Many hold scythes. They stand with a tired but ready posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, multiple figures, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Grandmother's Farmyard and Pasture
A typical rural farmyard, likely with a small cottage or farmhouse, leading to an open pasture where a black cow grazes. The area is exposed to weather, including heavy rain.
Mood: Initially familiar and safe, later becomes a place of deception and discovery.
Tom hides and later 'returns' the cow here; the chalk washes off, revealing the trick to his father.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic English farmyard in the late 19th century, with a small, weathered stone cottage featuring a thatched roof and a smoking chimney. A muddy track leads from the cottage to an open, green pasture dotted with wildflowers, where a black cow stands near a wooden fence. Overcast skies hint at recent rain, with puddles reflecting the dull light. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Deserted House
An isolated, abandoned house, standing at a distance from any other habitation. It serves as a secret hiding place for the cow.
Mood: Secluded, secretive, slightly eerie due to its deserted nature.
Tom hides his grandmother's cow here for several days.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dilapidated, single-story stone cottage, long abandoned, stands alone in a overgrown field under a moonless night sky. Broken window panes reveal a dark, empty interior, and a sagging wooden door hangs ajar. Thorny brambles and tall, dry grass surround the crumbling walls, casting deep shadows. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Inn near the Fair
A bustling inn located close to a fair in a neighboring town, a place for travelers and merchants.
Mood: Lively, busy, a place of temporary respite and pleasure.
Tom spends the day in pleasure here before 'returning' the doctored cow.
Image Prompt & Upload
A lively 19th-century English coaching inn, with a whitewashed facade and dark timber beams, bustling with activity. Horse-drawn carriages are parked in the cobblestone courtyard, and people mill about near the entrance. A large, weathered wooden sign hangs above the door, and the air is bright with a clear, sunny afternoon. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Remote Field of Standing Grain
A large agricultural field filled with unripe, standing grain, situated far from any houses or villages.
Mood: Open, exposed, initially industrious but quickly turning to confusion and dismay.
Tom sets the reapers to work here, then abandons them; the farmer discovers the unauthorized reaping.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, undulating field of pale green, unripe wheat stretches to the horizon under a bright summer sky. The stalks stand tall and dense, swaying gently in a light breeze. No buildings or trees are visible, emphasizing the remote, open nature of the landscape. The ground is dry earth between the rows of grain. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
