the
ground. He then ventured out, and getting astride, the butterfly took
wing and mounted into the air with little Tom on his back. Away he flew
from field to field, from tree to tree, till at last he flew to the
king's court. The king, queen, and nobles all strove to catch the
butterfly, but could not. At length poor Tom, having neither bridle nor
saddle, slipped from his seat and fell into a watering-pot, where he was
found almost drowned.

The queen vowed he should be guillotined; but while the guillotine was
getting ready, he was secured once more in a mousetrap. The cat, seeing
something stir and supposing it to be a mouse, patted the trap about
till she broke it and set Tom at liberty.

Soon afterwards a spider, taking him for a fly, made at him. Tom drew
his sword and fought valiantly, but the spider's poisonous breath
overcame him:

"He fell dead on the ground where late he had stood,
And the spider suck'd up the last drop of his blood."

King Thunstone and his whole court went into mourning for little Tom
Thumb. They buried him under a rosebush and raised a nice white marble
monument over his grave, with the following epitaph:

"Here lies Tom Thumb, King Arthur's knight,
Who died by a spider's cruel bite.
He was well known in Arthur's court,
Where he afforded gallant sport;
He rode at tilt and tournament,
And on a mouse a-hunting went.
Alive he fill'd the court with mirth,
His death to sorrow soon gave birth.
Wipe, wipe your eyes, and shake your head,
And cry, 'Alas! Tom Thumb is dead.'"

159

This chapbook form of the famous "Whittington
and His Cat" is the one reprinted by Hartland
in his _English Fairy and Folk Tales_. It goes
back to the early eighteenth century. Sir
Richard Whittington, at least, was a historical
character and served his first term as Lord
Mayor of London in 1397. Like most popular
stories, this one of a fortune due to a cat is
common to all Europe. Mr. Clouston, in the
second volume of his _Popular Tales and
Fictions_, outlines a number of these stories,
and even points out a Persian parallel of an
earlier date than the birth of Sir Richard.
Just how this very prosperous business man of
London, who was never in reality a poor boy,
came to be adopt