carve the ham. It was a beautiful
shiny yellow, streaked with red.

The knife crumpled up and hurt
him; he put his finger in his mouth.

"It is not boiled enough; it is hard.
You have a try, Hunca Munca."

Hunca Munca stood up in her
chair, and chopped at the ham with
another lead knife.

"It's as hard as the hams at the
cheesemonger's," said Hunca Munca.

The ham broke off the plate with a
jerk, and rolled under the table.


"Let it alone," said Tom Thumb;
"give me some fish, Hunca Munca!"

Hunca Munca tried every tin spoon
in turn; the fish was glued to the dish.

Then Tom Thumb lost his temper.
He put the ham in the middle of the
floor, and hit it with the tongs and
with the shovel--bang, bang, smash,