worse for his adventure.

A few days after this, Tom accompanied his mother when she went into the
fields to milk the cows, and, fearing he might be blown away by the wind,
she tied him to a sow-thistle with a little piece of thread. While she was
milking, a cow came by, bit off the thistle, and swallowed up Tom. Poor
Tom did not like her big teeth, and called out loudly, "Mother, mother!"
"But where are you, Tommy, my dear Tommy?" cried out his mother,
wringing her hands. "Here, mother," he shouted, "inside the red cow's
mouth!" And, saying that, he began to kick and scratch till the poor cow
was nearly mad, and at length tumbled him out of her mouth. On seeing
this, his mother rushed to him, caught him in her arms, and carried him
safely home.

Some days after this, his father took him to the fields a-ploughing, and
gave him a whip, made of a barley straw, with which to drive the oxen; but
little Tom was soon lost in a furrow. An eagle seeing him, picked him up
and flew with him to the top of a hill where stood a giant's castle. The
giant put him at once into his mouth, intending to swallow him up, but Tom
made such a great disturbance when he got inside that the monster was soon
glad to get rid of him, and threw him far away into the sea. But he was
not drowned, for he had scarcely touched the water before he was swallowed
by a large fish, which was shortly afterwards captured and brought to King
Arthur, as a present, by the fisherman. When the fish was opened, everyone
was astonished at finding Tom inside. He was at once carried to the King,
who made him his Court dwarf.

Long time he lived in jollity,
Beloved of the Court,
And none like Tom was so esteemed