Then the father laughed, and said,
“ How will you manage that ? You are much too little to
“hold the reins.”
“That has nothing to do with it, father ; while my mother
goes on with her spinning I will sit in the horse’s ear and tell
“Well,” answered the father, " we will try it for once.”
When it was time to set off, the mother went on spinning,
off, crying,
" Gee-up, gee-wo ! "
So the horse went on guite as if his master were driving
him, and drew the waggon along the right road to the wood.
N ow it happened just as they turned a corner, and the
little fellow was calling out " Gee-up !” that two strange men
passed by.
“ Look,” said one of them, “ how is this? ‘There goes a
“It is very strange,” said the other; " we will follow the
And the waggon went right through the wood, up to the
caught sight of his father, he cried out,
": Look, father, here am I with the waggon ; now, take me
down.”
The father held the horse with his left hand, and with the
were to show him in the town for money. Suppose we buy
So they went up to the woodcutter, and said,
** Sell the little man to us ; we will take care he shall come
to no harm.”
“No,” answered the father; "he is the apple of my eye,
and not for all the money in the world would I sell him.”
But Tom Thumb, when he heard what was going on,