o him. Uncle Tom's wife was called
Aunt Chloe. She was Mr. Shelby's head cook, and a very good one too, she
was. Nobody in all the country round could make such delicious pies and
cakes as Aunt Chloe.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived together in a pretty little cottage built
of wood, quite close to Mr. Shelby's big house.

The little cottage was covered with climbing roses, and the garden was
full of beautiful bright flowers and lovely fruit trees.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived happily for many years in their little
cottage, or cabin, as it was called. All day Uncle Tom used to work in
the fields, while Aunt Chloe was busy in the kitchen at Mr. Shelby's
house. When evening came they both went home to their cottage and their
children, and were merry together.

Mr. Shelby was a good man, and kind to his slaves, but he was not very
careful of his money. When he had spent all he had, he did not know what
to do to get more. At last he borrowed money from a man called Haley,
hoping to be able to pay it back again some day.

But that day never came. Haley grew impatient, and said, 'If you don't
pay what you owe me, I will take your house and lands, and sell them to
pay myself back all the money I have lent to you.'

So Mr. Shelby sold everything he could spare and gathered money together
in every way he could think of, but still there was not enough.

Then Haley said, 'Give me that slave of yours called Tom--he is worth a
lot of money.'

But Mr. Shelby knew that Haley was not a nice man. He knew he did not
want Tom for a servant, but only wanted to sell him again, to make more
money. So Mr. Shelby said, 'No, I can't do that. I never mean to sell
any of my slaves, least of all Tom. He has been with me since he was a
little boy.'

'Oh very well,' said Haley, 'I shall sell your house and lands, as I
said I should.'

Mr. Shelby could not bear to think of that, so he agreed to let Haley
have Tom. He made him promise, however, not to sell Tom again except to
a kind master.

'Very well,' said Haley, 'but Tom isn't enough. I must have another
slave.'

Just at this moment a little boy came dancing into the room where Mr.
Shelby and Haley were talking.

He was a pretty, merry little fellow, the son of a slave called Eliza,
who was Mrs. Shelby's maid.

'There now,' said Haley, 'give me that little chap, as well as Tom, and
we will say no more about the money you owe me.'

'I can't,' said Mr. Shelby. 'My wife is very