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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346115" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Life And Death Of Tom Thumb</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">In Arthur's court Tom Thumb did live,<br>A man of mickle might ;<br>The best of all the table round,<br>And eke a doughty knight.<br>His stature but an inch in height,<br>Or quarter of a span :<br>Then think you not this little knight<br>Was proved a valiant man ? </div><div style="margin:10px 0">His father was a ploughman plain,<br>His mother milk'd the cow,<br>Yet how that they might have a son<br>They knew not what to do :<br>Until such time this good old man<br>To learned Merlin goes,<br>And there to him his deep desires<br>In secret manner shows.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">How in his heart he wish'd to have<br>A child, in time to come,<br>To be his heir, though it might be<br>No bigger than his thumb.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of which old Merlin thus foretold,<br>That he his wish should have,<br>And so this son of statue small<br>The charmer to him gave.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No blood nor bones in him should be,<br>In shape, and being such<br>That men should hear him speak, but not<br>His wandering shadow touch.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But so unseen to go or come,—<br>Whereas it pleas'd him still ;<br>Begot and born in half and hour,<br>To fit his father's will. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And in four minutes grew so fast<br>That he became so tall<br>As was the ploughman's thumb in height,<br>And so they did him call—<br>TOM THUMB, the which the fairy queen<br>There gave him to his name,<br>Who, with her train of goblins grim,<br>Unto his christening came.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whereas she cloth'd him richly brave,<br>In garments fine and fair,<br>Which lasted him for many years<br>In seemly sort to wear.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His hat made of an oaken leaf,<br>His shirt a spider's web,<br>Both light and soft for those his limbs<br>That were so smally bred.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His hose and doublet thistle-down,<br>Together weaved full fine ;<br>His stockings of an apple green,<br>Made of the outward rind ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His garters were two little hairs<br>Pull'd from his mother's eye,<br>His boots and shoes, a mouse's skin,<br>Were tann'd most curiously. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus like a lusty gallant, he<br>Adventured forth to go,<br>With other children in the streets,<br>His pretty tricks to show.<br>Where he for counters, pins, and points,<br>And cherry-stones did play,<br>Till he amongst those gamesters young<br>Had lost his stock away.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yet could he soon renew the same,<br>Whereas most nimbly he<br>Would dive into their cherry-bags,<br>And their partaker be,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Unseen or felt by any one,<br>Until this scholar shut<br>This nimble youth into a box,<br>Wherein his pins he put.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of whom to be reveng'd he took,<br>In mirth and pleasant game,<br>Black pots and glasses, which he hung<br>Upon a bright sun-beam.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The other boys to do the like<br>In pieces broke them quite ;<br>For which they were most soundly whipt ;<br>Whereat he laughed outright. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so Tom Thumb restrained was, <br>From these his sports and play ;<br>And by his mother after that,<br>Compell'd at home to stay.<br>Whereas about a Christmas time,<br>His father a hog had kill'd ;<br>And Tom would see the puddings made,<br>For fear they should be spill'd.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He sate upon the pudding-bole,<br>The candle for to hold ;<br>Of which there is unto this day,<br>A pretty pastime told :</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For Tom fell in, and could not be<br>For ever after found,<br>For in the blood and batter he<br>Was strangely lost and drown'd.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Where searching long, but all in vain,<br>His mother after that,<br>Into a pudding thrust her son,<br>Instead of minced-meat.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which pudding of the largest size,<br>Into the kettle thrown,<br>Made all the rest to fly thereout,<br>As with a whirlwind blown : </div><div style="margin:10px 0">For so it tumbled up and down,<br>Within the liquor there,<br>As if the devil had been boil'd,—<br>Such was his mother's fear,<br>That up she took the pudding straight,<br>And gave it at the door<br>Unto a tinker, which from thence<br>In his black budget bore ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But as the tinker climb'd a stile,<br>He nearly tumbled back :<br>Now gip, old knave ! out cried Tom Thumb,<br>A-hanging on his pack.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">At which the tinker 'gan to run,<br>And would no longer stay ;<br>And cast both bag and pudding down,<br>And thence hied fast away.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">From which Tom Thumb got loose at last,<br>And home return'd again ;<br>Where he from following dangers long,<br>In safety did remain :</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Until such time his mother went <br>A-milking of her kine ;<br>Where Tom unto a thistle fast<br>She linked with a twine. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">A thread that held him to the same,<br>For fear the blustering wind<br>Should blow him hence,—that so she might<br>Her son in safety find.<br>But mark the hap ! a cow came by,<br>And up the thistle eat ;<br>Poor Tom withal, that, as a dock,<br>Was made the red cow's meat.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Who, being miss'd, his mother went<br>Him calling everywhere ;<br>Where art thou, Tom ? Where art thou, Tom ?<br>Quoth he, here, mother, here !</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Within the red cow's stomach here,<br>Your son is swallowed up :<br>The which into her fearful heart,<br>Most careful dolours put.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Meanwhile the cow was troubled much,<br>And soon releas'd Tom Thumb ;<br>No rest she had till out her mouth,<br>In bad plight he did come.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now after this, in sowing time,<br>His father would him have<br>Into the field to drive his plough,<br>And thereupon him gave— </div><div style="margin:10px 0">A whip made of a barley-straw,<br>To drive the cattle on ;<br>Where, in a furrow'd land new sown,<br>Poor Tom was lost and gone.<br>Now by a raven of great strength,<br>Away he thence was borne,<br>And carried in the carrion's beak,<br>Even like a grain of corn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Unto a giant's castle top,<br>In which he let him fall ;<br>Where soon the giant swallowed up<br>His body, clothes, and all.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But soon the giant spat him out,<br>Three miles into the sea ;<br>Whereas a fish soon took him up,<br>And bore him thence away.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which lusty fish was after caught,<br>And to king Arthur sent ;<br>Where Tom was found, and made his dwarf,<br>Whereas his days he spent</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Long time in lively jollity,<br>Belov'd of all the court ;<br>And none like Tom was then esteem'd,<br>Among the noble sort. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Amongst his deeds of courtship done,<br>His highness did command,<br>That he should dance a galliard brave<br>Upon his queen's left hand.<br>The which he did, and for the same<br>The king his signet gave,<br>Which Tom about his middle wore,<br>Long time a girdle brave.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">How, after this, the king would not<br>Abroad for pleasure go<br>But still Tom Thumb must ride with him,<br>Placed on his saddle-bow.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whereon a time when, as it rain'd,<br>Tom Thumb most nimbly crept <br>In at a button-hole, where he<br>Within his bosom slept.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And being near his highness' heart,<br>He crav'd a wealthy boon,<br>A liberal gift, the which the king<br>Commanded to be done.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For to relieve his father's wants,<br>And mother's, being old ;<br>Which was, so much of silver coin<br>As well his arms could hold. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so away goes lusty Tom,<br>With threepence on his back,<br>A heavy burthen, which might make<br>His wearied limbs to crack.<br>So travelling two days and nights,<br>With labour and great pain,<br>He came into the house whereat<br>His parents did remain ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which was but half a mile in space<br>From good king Arthur's court,<br>The which, in eight and forty hours,<br>He went in weary sort.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But coming to his father's door,<br>He there such entrance had<br>As made his parents both rejoice,<br>And he thereat was glad.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His mother in her apron took<br>Her gentle son in haste,<br>And by the fire-side, within<br>A walnut-shell him placed ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whereas they feasted him three days<br>Upon a hazel-nut,<br>Whereon he rioted so long,<br>He them to charges put ; </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thereupon grew wond'rous sick,<br>Through eating too much meat,<br>Which was sufficient for a month<br>For this great man to eat.<br>But now his business call'd him forth<br>King Arthur's court to see,<br>Whereas no longer from the same<br>He could a stranger be.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But yet a few small April drops<br>Which settled in the way,<br>His long and weary journey forth<br>Did hinder and so stay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Until his careful father took<br>A birding trunk in sport,<br>And with one blast, blew this his son<br>Into king Arthur's court.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now he with tilts and tournaments<br>Was entertained so,<br>That all the best of Arthur's knights<br>Did him much pleasure show :</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As good Sir Lancelot du Lake,<br>Sir Tristam, and Sir Guy ;<br>Yet none compar'd with brave Tom Thumb<br>For knightly chivalry. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">In honour of which noble day,<br>And for his lady's sake,<br>A challenge in king Arthur's court<br>Tom Thumb did bravely make.<br>'Gainst whom these noble knights did run,<br>Sir Chinon and the rest,<br>Yet still Tom Thumb, with matchless might,<br>Did bear away the best.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">At last Sir Lancelot du Lake<br>In manly sort came in,<br>And with this stout and hardy knight<br>A battle did begin.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which made the courtiers all aghast,<br>For there that valiant man,<br>Through Lancelot's steed, before them all,<br>In nimble manner ran.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yea, horse and all, with spear and shield,<br>As hardy he was seen,<br>But only by king Arthur's self<br>And his admired queen ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Who from her finger took a ring,<br>Through which Tom Thumb made way,<br>Not touching it, in nimble sort,<br>As it was done in play. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">He likewise cleft the smallest hair<br>From his fair lady's head<br>Not hurting her whose even hand<br>Him lasting honours bred.<br>Such were his deeds and noble acts<br>In Arthur's court there shone,<br>As like in all the world beside<br>Was hardly seen or known.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now at these sports he toil'd himself,<br>That he a sickness took,<br>Through which all manly exercise<br>He carelessly forsook.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">When lying on his bed sore sick,<br>King Arthur's doctor came,<br>With cunning skill, by physic's art,<br>To ease and cure the same.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">His body being so slender small,<br>This cunning doctor took<br>A fine perspective glass, with which<br>He did in secret look—</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Into his sickened body down,<br>And therein saw that Death<br>Stood ready in his wasted frame<br>To cease his vital breath. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">His arms and legs consum'd as small<br>As was a spider's web,<br>Through which his dying hour grew on,<br>For all his limbs grew dead.<br>His face no bigger than an ant's,<br>Which hardly could be seen ;<br>The loss of which renowned knight<br>Much grieved the king and queen.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so with peace and quietness<br>He left this earth below ;<br>And up into the fairy-land<br>His ghost did fading go.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whereas the fairy-queen receiv'd,<br>With heavy mourning cheer,<br>The body of this valiant knight,<br>Whom she esteem'd so dear.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For with her dancing nymphs in green,<br>She fetch'd him from his bed,<br>With music and sweet melody,<br>So soon as life was fled ;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For whom king Arthur and his knights<br>Full forty days did mourn ;<br>And, in remembrance of his name,<br>That was so strangely born— </div><div style="margin:10px 0">He built a tomb of marble gray,<br>And year by year did come<br>To celebrate ye mournful death<br>And burial of Tom Thumb.<br>Whose fame still lives in England here,<br>Amongst the country sort ;<br>Of whom our wives and children small<br>Tell tales of pleasant sport.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Anonymous+Olde+English">Anonymous Olde English</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346115" data-title="The Life And Death Of Tom Thumb de Anonymous Olde English" data-description="In Arthur's court Tom Thumb did live,
A man of mickle might ;
The best of all the table round,
And eke a doughty knight.
His stature but an inch in height,
Or quarter of a span :
Then think you not this little knight
Was proved a valiant man ? 

H..."></div>
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