as as pretty a lady as
ever had pinched feet like a Chinese. But you see, they had chosen to do
a foolish thing just once too often; so, by the laws of Mrs.
Bedonebyasyoudid, they had to go on doing it whether they chose or not,
till the coming of the Cocqcigrues.

Ah! don't you wish that some one would go and convert those poor
heathens, and teach them not to frighten their little children into
fits?

"Now, then," said the Powwow man to Tom, "wouldn't you like to be
frightened, my little dear? For I can see plainly that you are a very
wicked, naughty, graceless, reprobate boy."

"You're another," quoth Tom, very sturdily. And when the man ran at him,
and cried "Boo!" Tom ran at him in return, and cried "Boo!" likewise,
right in his face, and set the little dog upon him; and at his legs the
dog went.

At which, if you will believe it, the fellow turned tail, thunderbox and
all, with a "Woof!" like an old sow on the common; and ran for his life,
screaming, "Help! thieves! murder! fire! He is going to kill me! I am a
ruined man! He will murder me; and break, burn, and destroy my precious
and invaluable thunderbox; and then you will have no more
thunder-showers in the land. Help! help! help!"

At which the papa and mamma and all the people of Oldwivesfabledom flew
at Tom, shouting, "Oh, the wicked, impudent, hard-hearted, graceless
boy! Beat him, kick him, shoot him, drown him, hang him, burn him!" and
so forth: but luckily they had nothing to shoot, hang, or burn him with,
for the fairies had hid all the killing-tackle out of the way a little
while before; so they could only pelt him with stones; and some of the
stones went clean through him, and came out the other side. But he did
not mind that a bit; for the holes closed up again as fast as they were
made, because he was a water-baby. However, he was very glad when he was
safe out of the country, for the noise there made him all but deaf.

Then he came to a very quiet place, called Leaveheavenalone. And there
the sun was drawing water out of the sea to make steam-threads, and the
wind was twisting them up to make cloud-patterns, till they had worked
between them the loveliest wedding veil of Chantilly lace, and hung it
up in their own Crystal Palace for any one to buy who could afford it;
while the good old sea never grudged, for she knew they would pay her
back honestly. So the sun span, and the wind wove, and all went well
with the great steam-loom; as is likel