Before the fairy went away, however, she gave the woman a little shirt of spider's web and a doublet of thistle-down for the baby.
When the farmer came home he was very much pleased. He invited all his friends to the christening, and the child was named “Tom,” after him, and “Thumb,” because he was no bigger than one.
The baby was very well, and merry, and grew, of course; but still it was very small.
However, at last Tom thought himself quite a great boy, and begged his mother to make him a little suit of clothes, and she made him one; but with a great deal of trouble, they were so small.
Tom was very often in mischief. He was so small that his mother used to put him on the table to play; and once she found him in the salt-box.
TOM FALLS INTO THE PUDDING.
One day she was making a plum-pudding, and Tom stood by the side of the basin, and peeped over the edge; but he could not see into it very well, and while his mother was gone for some more flour, he drew himself up on the edge of the basin. Alas! he fell in and disappeared in the wet pudding, which for poor Tom was a huge morass.
THE FALL OF THE PUDDING.