Little Thumb

Little Thumb

There was, once upon a time, a man and his wife, faggot-makers by

trade, who had seven children, all boys. The eldest was but ten years

old, and the youngest only seven. One might wonder how that the

faggot-maker could have so many children in so little a time; but it

was because his wife went nimbly about her business and never brought

fewer than two at a birth. They were very poor, and their seven

children incommoded them greatly, because not one of them was able to

earn his bread. That which gave them yet more uneasiness was, that the

youngest was of a very puny constitution, and scarce ever spake a

word, which made them take that for stupidity which was a sign of good

sense. He was very little, and, when born, no bigger than one's thumb;

which made him be called Little Thumb.

The poor child bore the blame of whatsoever was done amiss in the

house, and guilty or not was always in the wrong; he was,

notwithstanding, more cunning and had a far greater share of wisdom

than all his brothers put together, and if he spake little he heard

and thought the more.

There happened now to come a very bad year, and the famine was so

great, that these poor people resolved to rid themselves of their

children. One evening, when they were all in bed and the faggot-maker

was sitting with his wife at the fire, he said to her, with his heart

ready to burst with grief:

"Thou see'st plainly that we are not able to keep our children, and I

cannot see them starve to death before my face; I am resolved to lose

them in the wood to-morrow, which may very easily be done; for while

they are busy in tying up the faggots, we may run away, and leave

them, without their taking any notice."

"Ah!" cried out his wife, "and can'st thou thyself have the heart to

take thy children out along with thee on purpose to lose them?"

In vain did her husband represent to her their extreme poverty; she

would not consent to it; she was, indeed poor, but she was their

mother. However, having considered what a grief it would be to her to

see them perish with hunger, she at last consented and went to bed all

in tears.

Little Thumb heard every word that had been spoken; for observing, as

he lay in his bed, that they were talking very busily, he had got up

softly and hid himself under his father's stool, that he might hear

what they said, without being seen. He went to bed again, but did not

sleep a wink all the rest of the night, thinking on what he ought to

do. He got up early in the morning, and went to the river side, where

he filled his pockets full of small white pebbles, and then returned

home. They all went abroad, but Little Thumb never told his brothers

one syllable of what he knew. They went into a very thick forest,

where they could not see one another at ten paces distance. The

faggot-maker began to cut wood, and the children to gather up sticks

to make faggots. Their father and mother seeing them busy at their

work, got from them by degrees, and then ran away from them all at

once, along a by-way, thro' the winding bushes.

[Illustration: "HE BROUGHT THEM HOME BY THE VERY SAME WAY THEY CAME"]

When the children saw they were left alone, they began to cry as loud

as they could. Little Thumb let them cry on, knowing very well how to

go home again; for as he came he had taken care to drop all along the

way the little white pebbles he had in his pockets. Then said he to

them:

"Be not afraid, brothers, father and mother have left us here, but I

will lead you home again, only follow me." They did so, and he brought

them home by the very same way they came into the forest. They dared

not to go in, but sat themselves down at the door, listening to what

their father and mother were saying.

The very moment the faggot-maker and his wife were got home, the lord

of the manor sent them ten crowns, which he had owed them a long

while, and which they never expected. This gave them new life; for the

poor people were almost famished. The faggot-maker sent his wife

immediately to the butcher's. As it was a long while since they had

eaten a bit, she bought thrice as much meat as would sup two people.

Having filled their bellies, the woman said:

"Alas! where are now our poor children? They would make a good feast

of what we have left here; but then it was you, William, who had a

mind to lose them; I told you we should repent of it: what are they

now doing in the forest? Alas! dear God, the wolves have, perhaps,

already eaten them up: thou art very inhuman thus to have lost thy

children."

The faggot-maker grew at last quite out of patience, for she repeated

this above twenty times, that they should repent of it, and she was in

the right of it for so saying. He threatened to beat her, if she did

not hold her tongue. It was not that the faggot-maker was not,

perhaps, more vexed than his wife, but that she teized him, and that

he was of the humour of a great many others, who love wives who speak

right, but think those very importunate who are always in the right.

She was half drowned in tears, crying out:

"Alas! where are now my children, my poor children?"

She spake this so very loud, that the children who were at the door,

began to cry out all together:

"Here we are, here we are."

She ran immediately to open the door, and said, hugging them:

"I am glad to see you, my dear children; you are very hungry and

weary; and my poor Peter, thou art horribly bemired; come in and let

me clean thee."

Now, you must know, that Peter was her eldest son, whom she loved

above all the rest, because he was somewhat carrotty, as she herself

was. They sat down to supper, and ate with such a good appetite as

pleased both father and mother, whom they acquainted how frightened

they were in the forest; speaking almost always all together. The good

folks were extremely glad to see their children once more at home,

and this joy continued while the ten crowns lasted; but when the money

was all gone, they fell again into their former uneasiness, and

resolved to lose them again; and, that they might be the surer of

doing it, to carry them at a much greater distance than before. They

could not talk of this so secretly, but they were overheard by Little

Thumb, who made account to get out of this difficulty as well as the

former; but though he got up betimes in the morning, to go and pick up

some little pebbles, he was disappointed; for he found the house-door

double-locked, and was at a stand what to do. When their father had

given each of them a piece of bread for their breakfast, he fancied he

might make use of this bread instead of the pebbles, by throwing it in

little bits all along the way they should pass; and so he put it up

into his pocket.

Their father and mother brought them into the thickest and most

obscure part of the forest; when, stealing away into a by-path, they

there left them. Little Thumb was not very uneasy at it; for he

thought he could easily find the way again, by means of his bread

which he had scattered all along as he came. But he was very much

surprised when he could not find so much as one crumb; the birds had

come and eaten it up every bit. They were now in great affliction, for

the farther they went, the more they were out of their way, and were

more and more bewildered in the forest.

Night now came on, and there arose a terrible high wind, which made

them dreadfully afraid. They fancied they heard on every side of them

the houling of wolves coming to eat them up; they scarce dared to

speak, or turn their heads. After this, it rained very hard, which wet

them to the skin; their feet slipped at every step they took, and they

fell into the mire, whence they got up in a very dirty pickle; their

hands were in a sorry state.

Little Thumb climbed up to the top of a tree, to see if he could

discover any thing; and having turned his head about on every side, he

saw at last a glimmering light, like that of a candle, but a long way

from the forest. He came down, and, when upon the ground, he could see

it no more, which grieved him sadly. However, having walked for some

time with his brothers towards that side on which he had seen the

light, he perceived it again as he came out of the wood.

They came at last to the house where this candle was, not without

abundance of fear; for very often they lost sight of it, which

happened every time they came into a bottom. They knocked at the door,

and a good woman came and open'd it; she asked them what they wished.

Little Thumb told her they were poor children who had been lost in the

forest, and desired to lodge there for God's sake. The woman seeing

them so very pretty, began to weep, and said to them:

"Alas! poor babies, whither are ye come? Do ye know that this house

belongs to a cruel Ogre, who eats up little children?"

"Ah! dear Madam," answered Little Thumb (who trembled every joint of

him, as well as his brothers) "what shall we do? To be sure, the

wolves of the forest will devour us to-night, if you refuse us to lie

here; and so, we would rather the gentleman should eat us. Perhaps he

will take pity on us, especially if you please to beg it of him."

The Ogre's wife, who believed she could conceal them from her husband

till morning, let them come in, and brought them to warm themselves at

a very good fire; for there was a whole sheep upon the spit roasting

for the Ogre's supper.

As they began to be a little warm, they heard three or four great raps

at the door; this was the Ogre, who was come home. Upon this she hid

them under the bed, and went to open the door. The Ogre presently

asked if supper was ready, and the wine drawn; and then he sat himself

down to table. The sheep was as yet all raw and bloody; but he liked

it the better for that. He sniffed about to the right and left,

saying, "I smell fresh meat."

"What you smell so," said his wife, "must be the calf which I have

just now killed and flayed."

"I smell fresh meat, I tell thee once more," replied the Ogre, looking

crossly at his wife, "and there is something here which I do not

understand."

As he spake these words, he got up from the table, and went directly

to the bed.

"Ah!" said he, "I see how thou would'st cheat me, thou cursed woman; I

know not why I do not eat up thee too; but it is well for thee that

thou art a tough old carrion. Here is good game, which comes very

luckily to entertain three Ogres of my acquaintance, who are to pay me

a visit in a day or two."

With that he dragged them out from under the bed one by one. The poor

children fell upon their knees, and begged his pardon; but they had to

do with one of the most cruel Ogres in the world, who, far from having

any pity on them, had already devoured them with his eyes; he told his

wife they would be delicate eating, when tossed up with good savoury

sauce. He then took a great knife, and coming up to these poor

children, whetted it upon a great whet-stone which he held in his left

hand. He had already taken hold of one of them, when his wife said to

him:

"What need you do it now? It is time enough to-morrow?"

"Hold your prattling," said the Ogre, "they will eat the tenderer."

"But you have so much meat already," replied his wife, "you have no

occasion. Here is a calf, two sheep, and half a hog."

"That is true," said the Ogre, "give them their belly-full, that they

may not fall away, and put them to bed."

The good woman was overjoyed at this, and gave them a good supper; but

they were so much afraid, they could not eat a bit. As for the Ogre,

he sat down again to drink, being highly pleased that he had got

wherewithal to treat his friends. He drank a dozen glasses more than

ordinary, which got up into his head, and obliged him to go to bed.

The Ogre had seven daughters, all little children, and these young

Ogresses had all of them very fine complexions, because they used to

eat fresh meat like their father; but they had little grey eyes, quite

round, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very long sharp teeth standing

at a good distance from each other. They were not as yet over and

above mischievous; but they promised very fair for it, for they

already bit little children, that they might suck their blood. They

had been put to bed early, with every one a crown of gold upon her

head. There was in the same chamber another bed of the like bigness,

and it was into this bed the Ogre's wife put the seven little boys;

after which she went to bed to her husband.

Little Thumb, who had observed that the Ogre's daughters had crowns of

gold upon their heads, and was afraid lest the Ogre should repent his

not killing them, got up about midnight; and taking his brothers'

bonnets and his own, went very softly, put them upon the heads of the

seven little Ogresses, after having taken off their crowns of gold,

which he put upon his own head and his brothers', that the Ogre might

take them for his daughters, and his daughters for the little boys

whom he wanted to kill. All this succeeded according to his desire;

for the Ogre waking about midnight, and sorry that he deferred to do

that till morning which he might have done over-night, threw himself

hastily out of bed, and taking his great knife:

"Let us see," said he, "how our little rogues do, and not make two

jobs of the matter."

He then went up, groping all the way, into his daughters' chamber; and

came to the bed where the little boys lay, who were every soul of them

fast asleep; except Little Thumb, who was terribly afraid when he

found the Ogre fumbling about his head, as he had done about his

brothers'. The Ogre, feeling the golden crowns, said:

"I should have made a fine piece of work of it truly; I find I guzzled

too much last night."

Then he went to the bed where the girls lay; and having found the

boys' little bonnets: "Hah!" said he, "my merry lads, are you there?

Let us to work!"

And saying these words, without more ado, he cut the throats of all

his seven daughters.

Well pleased with what he had done, he went to bed again to his wife.

So soon as Little Thumb heard the Ogre snore, he waked his brothers,

and bade them put on their clothes presently, and follow him. They

stole down softly into the garden, and got over the wall. They kept

running almost all night, trembling all the while, without knowing

which way they went.

The Ogre, when he waked, said to his wife:

"Go up stairs and dress those young rascals who came here last night."

The Ogress was very much surprised at this goodness of her husband,

not dreaming after what manner he intended she should dress them; but

thinking that he had ordered her to go and put on their cloaths, went

up, and was strangely astonished when she perceived her seven

daughters killed, and weltering in their blood. She fainted away; for

this is the first expedient almost all women find in such-like cases.

The Ogre, fearing his wife would be too long in doing what he had

ordered, went up himself to help her. He was no less amazed than his

wife, at this frightful spectacle.

"Ah! what have I done?" cried he. "The cursed wretches shall pay for

it, and that instantly."

He threw then a pitcher of water upon his wife's face; and having

brought her to herself:

"Give me quickly," cried he, "my boots of seven leagues, that I may go

and catch them."

He went out; and, having run over a vast deal of ground, both on this

side and that, he came at last into the very road where the poor

children were, and not above a hundred paces from their father's

house. They espied the Ogre, who went at one step from mountain to

mountain, and over rivers as easily as the narrowest kennels.[5]

Little Thumb, seeing a hollow rock near the place where they were,

made his brothers hide themselves in it, and crowded into it himself,

minding always what would become of the Ogre.

[Footnote 5: That is, 'channels.']

The Ogre, who found himself much tired with his long and fruitless

journey (for these boots of seven leagues extremely fatigue the

wearer), had a great mind to rest himself, and, by chance, went to

sit down upon the rock where these little boys had hid themselves. As

he was worn out, he fell asleep: and, after reposing himself some time

he began to snore so frightfully, that the poor children were no less

afraid of him, than when he held up his great knife, and was going to

cut their throats. Little Thumb was not so much frightened as his

brothers, and told them that they should run away immediately towards

home, while the Ogre was asleep so soundly; and that they should not

be anxious about him. They took his advice, and got home presently.

Little Thumb came up to the Ogre, pulled off his boots gently, and put

them on upon his own legs. The boots were very long and large; but as

they were Fairies, they had the gift of becoming big and little,

according to the legs of those who wore them; so that they fitted his

feet and legs as well as if they had been made on purpose for him.

He went immediately to the Ogre's house, where he saw his wife crying

bitterly for the loss of her murdered daughters.

"Your husband," said Little Thumb, "is in very great danger, being

taken by a gang of thieves, who have sworn to kill him, if he does not

give them all his gold and silver. Just when they held their daggers

at his throat, he perceived me, and desired me to come and tell you

the condition he is in, and that you should give me whatsoever he has

of value, without retaining any one thing; for otherwise they will

kill him without mercy; and, as his case is very pressing, he desired

me to make use (you see I have them on) of his boots, that I might

make the more haste, and to shew you that I do not impose upon you."

The good woman, being sadly frightened, gave him all she had: for this

Ogre was a very good husband, tho' he used to eat up little children.

Little Thumb, having thus got all the Ogre's money, came home to his

father's house, where he was received with abundance of joy.

There are many people who do not agree in this circumstance, and

pretend that Little Thumb never robbed the Ogre at all, and that he

only thought he might very justly, and with safe conscience take off

his boots of seven leagues, because he made no other use of them, but

to run after little children. These folks affirm, that they were very

well assured of this, and the more, as having drank and eaten often at

the faggot-maker's house. They aver, that, when Little Thumb had taken

off the Ogre's boots, he went to Court, where he was informed that

they were very anxious about a certain army, which was two hundred

leagues off, and the success of a battle. He went, say they, to the

King, and told him that, if he desired it, he would bring him news

from the army before night. The King promised him a great sum of money

upon that condition. Little Thumb was as good as his word, and

returned that very same night with the news; and this first expedition

causing him to be known, he got whatever he pleased; for the King paid

him very well for carrying his orders to the army, and abundance of

ladies gave him what he would to bring them news from their lovers;

and that this was his greatest gain. There were some married women,

too, who sent letters by him to their husbands, but they paid him so

ill that it was not worth his while, and turned to such small account,

that he scorned ever to reckon what he got that way. After having, for

some time, carried on the business of a messenger, and gained thereby

great wealth, he went home to his father, where it was impossible to

express the joy they were all in at his return. He made the whole

family very well-to-do, bought places for his father and brothers; and

by that means settled them very handsomely in the world, and, in the

mean time, rose high in the King's favour.

[Illustration]

The Moral

_At many children parents don't repine,

If they are handsome; in their judgment shine;

Polite in carriage are, in body strong,

Graceful in mien, and elegant in tongue.

But if perchance an offspring prove but weak,

Him they revile, laugh at, defraud and cheat.

Such is the wretched world's curs'd way; and yet

Sometimes this urchin whom despis'd we see,

Through unforeseen events doth honour get,

And fortune bring to all his family._

[Illustration]

The Ridiculous Wishes

[Illustration]

[Illustration: "JUPITER APPEARED BEFORE HIM WIELDING HIS MIGHTY

THUNDERBOLTS"]