Stranica 200 [200]
fey JA . & Se ==
PMS Peg LE
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= 4 == es,
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6S
AZT"
HERE was once a poor countryman who
used to sit in the chimney-corner all
evening and poke the fire, while his
wife sat at her spinning-wheel.
And he used to say,
“ How dull it is without any children
about us; our house is so qulet, and
other people’s houses so noisy and
merry !”
“Yes,” answered his wife, and sighed, ‘if we could only
have one, and that one ever so little, no bigger than my
thumb, how happy I should be! It would, indeed, be having
our heart’s desire.”
Now, it happened that after a while the woman had a child
who was perfect in all his limbs, but no bigger than a thumb.
Then the parents said,
6 He is just what we wished for, and we will love him very
much,” and they named him according to his stature, “ Tom
Thumb.” And though they gave him plenty of nourishment,
he grew no bigger, but remained exactly the same size as when
he was first born; and he had very good faculties, and was
very quick and prudent, so that all he did prospered.
One day his father made ready to go into the forest to cut
wood, and he said, as if to himself,
“Now, I wish there was some one to bring the cart to
meet me.”
“© father,” cried Tom Thumb, "I can bring the cart,
let me alone for that, and in proper time, too!”