The Golden Goose Book by L. Leslie Brooke
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L. Leslie Brooke >> The Golden Goose Book
Long time he lived in jollity,
Beloved of the Court,
And none like Tom was so esteemed
Amongst the better sort.
The Queen was delighted with the little boy, and made him dance a gaillard
on her left hand. He danced so well that King Arthur gave him a ring,
which he wore round his waist like a girdle.
Tom soon began to long to see his parents again, and begged the King to
allow him to go home for a short time. This was readily permitted, and the
King told him he might take with him as much money as he could carry.
And so away goes lusty Tom,
With three pence at his back--
A heavy burthen which did make
His very bones to crack.
He had to rest more than a hundred times by the way, but, after two days
and two nights, he reached his father's house in safety. His mother saw
him coming, and ran out to meet him, and there was great rejoicing at his
arrival. He spent three happy days at home, and then set out for the Court
once more.
Shortly after his return, he one day displeased the King, so, fearing the
royal anger, he crept into an empty flower-pot, where he lay for a long
time. At last he ventured to peep out, and, seeing a fine large butterfly
on the ground close by, he stole out of his hiding-place, jumped on its
back, and was carried up into the air. The King and nobles all strove to
catch him, but at last poor Tom fell from his seat into a watering-pot, in
which he was almost drowned, only luckily the gardener's child saw him,
and pulled him out. The King was so pleased to have him safe once more
that he forgot to scold him, and made much of him instead.
Tom afterwards lived many years at Court, one of the best beloved of King
Arthur's knights.
Thus he at tilt and tournament
Was entertained so,
That all the rest of Arthur's knights
Did him much pleasure show.
With good Sir Launcelot du Lake,
Sir Tristram and Sir Guy,
Yet none compared to brave Tom Thumb
In acts of chivalry.
PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHERS BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LTD.,
LONDON AND BECCLES
LESLIE BROOKE'S
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
OTHER BOOKS
WITH DRAWINGS
BY
LESLIE BROOKE
JOHNNY CROW'S GARDEN
JOHNNY CROW'S PARTY
A ROUNDABOUT TURN
Verses by
ROBERT H. CHARLES
LESLIE BROOKE'S
LITTLE BOOKS
size 7 in. by 5-1/2 in.
4 BOOKS
NURSERY STORIES
4 BOOKS
NURSERY RHYMES
THE NURSERY RHYME
BOOK
Edited by ANDREW LANG
PUBLISHED BY
FREDERICK WARNE & Co. Ltd.