uirk had said to him; and he
would have given a good deal just then to have been back again at the
well, as he was before the angry old woman boxed his ear. He was afraid
she had bewitched him.

He looked at the thistle-down again and again, and turned it over, and
picked it to pieces a little, then brushed it off from his hand, when, O
wonderful! it immediately changed to a dove, and flew into the sky! But
he found that he had pulled out some of its feathers, and still held one
beautiful long white quill in his fingers.

Now he was sorry he had not kept it. And he would have got up and run
after it again; but just then, happening to look where he had thrown the
feathers down by the stump, he saw one of the strangest sights in the
world.

A little bit of a fellow, not so large as the end of his thumb, opened a
little bit of a door in the side of the stump, walked out, and looked
around as if he had heard a noise about his house, and wished to see
what had happened.

"Tom Thumb!" exclaimed Andy, in the greatest surprise and delight.

He had lately read the history of that famous little dwarf; and he had
often thought he would give all his playthings just to make his
acquaintance.

"Tom Thumb! Tom Thumb! how do you do?" he said.

But as Tom walked about, and paid no attention to him, he thought
perhaps he had not addressed him respectfully enough. So he said,--"I
beg your pardon, Mr. Thumb! I hope you are pretty well, Mr. Thumb."

At that the little gentleman took off his hat, and made the politest
little bow imaginable.

"My name is Andy. I have read about you. Come, let's be friends."

Mr. Thumb made some reply, but in such a very small voice that Andy
could not understand a word.

"Speak again, Mr. Thumb, if you please."

And Andy put his head down to hear. But Tom appeared to be afraid; and,
opening the little door again, he stepped back into the stump.

"Hello! come out again!" cried Andy. "Won't you? Then I'll find you!"

And with the dove's quill he forced the door of Tom Thumb's house, and
penetrated the entry. At that he heard a confused murmuring and
muttering and shouting; and, pulling away the feather, he saw rush out
after it a dozen little fellows, all as angry as they could be.

"Excuse me, gentlemen!" said Andy, as soon as he had recovered from his
astonishment. "I didn't mean any harm. Did I hurt anybody?"

They did not answer, but kept running to and fro, and talking among
themselves,