“What are you laughing at?” the girl asked him.
“Well, today when I was out in the forest, I saw the funniest sight.... I was in a strange part where I had never been before. And I saw an old chalk pit.... And I heard the queerest humming and humming coming from the pit. So I got off my hobby and crept over to the pit without making a bit of a sound. And there I saw the strangest looking little black thing with a long, black tail. And That was sitting at a little spinning wheel, and That was spinning so fast that I could scarcely see the wheel. And while That span, That sang,
“Nimmy, nimmy not,
My name is Tom Tit Tot.”
“And That kept singing it over again and again.”
When the girl heard this, she was so happy that she could almost have jumped out of her skin for joy, but she didn’t say a word.
Next day, that little black thing looked so maliceful! And when night came she heard the knock at the window, she opened it, and the little black thing jumped into the room. He was grinning from ear to ear, and O! That’s tail was twirling round so fast!
“What’s my name?” That said, as That gave her the skeins.
“Is that Solomon?” said the girl, pretending to be afraid.
“Noo, that ain’t,” That said, and That came further into the room.