"But I can," called out Thumbkin.
"What is that? Who was that?" called out the robbers, who commenced thinking of running away. And then Thumbkin called out again:
"Do not be afraid, I'll not hurt you, and I can help you get into the Squire's pantry."
Then he came out of the hole in the tree, and the robbers were surprised to see how small he was. So they took him up with them to the Squire's house, and when they got there they lifted him up and put him through the window and told him to look out for the silver.
"I've found it! I've found it!" he called out at the top of his shrill voice.
"Not so loud; not so loud," said they.
"What shall I hand out first, the spoons or the ladles?" he shouted out again.
But this time the butler heard him and came down with his blunderbuss, and the robbers ran off. So when the butler opened the door Thumbkin crept out and went to the stable, and laid down to sleep in a nice cozy bed of hay in the manger.
But in the morning the cows came into the stable, and one of them walked up to the manger. And what do you think she did? She swallowed the hay with little Thumbkin in it, and took him right down into her tummy.
Shortly afterwards the cows were driven out to the milking place, and the milkmaid commenced to milk the cow which had swallowed Thumbkin. And when he heard the milk rattling into the pail he called out: