at the odd noise in her throat, opened her mouth and let Tom drop out.
Fortunately his mother caught him in her apron as he was falling to
the ground, or he would have been dreadfully hurt. She then put Tom
in her bosom and ran home with him.

Tom's father made him a whip of barley straw to drive the cattle with,
and having one day gone into the fields, he slipped a foot and rolled
into the furrow. A raven, which was flying over, picked him up and
flew with him to the top of a giant's castle that was near the seaside,
and there left him.

Tom was in a dreadful state, and did not know what to do; but he was
soon more dreadfully frightened; for old Grumbo, the giant, came up
to walk on the terrace, and seeing Tom, he took him up and swallowed him
like a pill.

The giant had no sooner swallowed Tom than he began to repent what he
had done; for Tom began to kick and jump about so much that he felt
very uncomfortable, and at last threw him up again into the sea. A large
fish swallowed Tom the moment he fell into the sea, which was soon
after caught, and bought for the table of King Arthur. When they opened
the fish in order to cook it, every on was astonished at finding such a
little boy, and Tom was quite delighted to be out again. They
carried him to the king, who made Tom his dwarf, and he soon grew a great
favorite at court: for by his tricks and gambols he not only amused
the king and queen, but also all the knights of the Round Table.

It is said that when the kind rode out on horseback he often took Tom
along with him, and if a shower came on he used to creep into his
majesty's waistcoat pocket, where he slept till the rain was over.