they, "how can you help us?"

"Look here," answered he, "I can easily creep between the iron bars of
the parson's room and hand out to you whatever you would like to have."

"Very well," said they, "we will try what you can do."

So when they came to the parsonage-house, Tom Thumb crept into the room,
but cried out with all his might,

"Will you have all that is here?" So the thieves were terrified, and
said,

"Do speak more softly, lest any one should be awaked."

But Tom Thumb made as if he did not hear them, and cried out again,

"What would you like? will you have all that is here?" so that the cook,
who was sleeping in a room hard by, heard it, and raised herself in bed
and listened. The thieves, however, in their fear of being discovered,
had run back part of the way, but they took courage again, thinking that
it was only a jest of the little fellow's. So they came back and
whispered to him to be serious, and to hand them out something.

Then Tom Thumb called out once more as loud as he could,

"Oh yes, I will give it all to you, only put out your hands."

Then the listening maid heard him distinctly that time, and jumped out
of bed, and burst open the door. The thieves ran off as if the wild
huntsman were behind them; but the maid, as she could see nothing, went
to fetch a light. And when she came back with one, Tom Thumb had taken
himself off, without being seen by her, into the barn; and the maid,
when she had looked in every hole and corner and found nothing, went
back to bed at last, and thought that she must have been dreaming with
her eyes and ears open.

So Tom Thumb crept among the hay, and found a comfortable nook to sleep
in, where he intended to remain until it was day, and then to go home to
his father and mother. But other things were to befall him; indeed,
there is nothing but trouble and worry in this world! The maid got up
at dawn of day to feed the cows. The first place she went to was the
barn, where she took up an armful of hay, and it happened to be the very
heap in which Tom Thumb lay asleep. And he was so fast asleep, that he
was aware of nothing, and never waked until he was in the mouth of the
cow, who had taken him up with the hay.

"Oh dear," cried he, "how is it that I have got into a mill!" but he
soon found out where he was, and he had to be very careful not to get
between the cow's teeth, and at last he had to descend into the cow's
stomach.

"The windows were forgotte