never leave me more. You shall sleep on velvet, and eat minikin comfits, and carry my sweetest messages, and hearken when my pages and damsels gossip their secrets together. Will you not, my pretty pet?'

Tom coloured on his little cheeks, like the reddening May blossom. "Methought," he said, "I was to do service to my Lord the King."

"Where is your courtesy, master page?" said the King; "do you not service to me in waiting on my fair Queen ?"

"I would fain do manful service," said Tom, drawing himself upright and straight; "I would not live in sloth and be an eavesdropper,” he added, as the King and Queen both laughed so heartily, that he remembered how Puck had said scorn would be the reward of his pains, and his face burned till it was scarlet as a lady-bird.

"He is in the right of it," said King Arthur, when he had done laughing; "manfulness lies in the spirit, not the height, and my page he shall be so long as he is ready to do his best."

Thereupon Queen Guenever pouted, but Tom kissed the King's hand, and resolved that betide what might, he would be faithful.

CHAPTER IX.

HOW TOM THUMB RODE A-HUNTING.

HE night after Tom Thumb had been received into office, his former suit of clothes was taken away by unseen hands, and another laid in the place where it had been, such as might better befit a court-page.

The doublet was of butterflies' wings, and the boots of chicken's skin, for you must know that Tom needed boots.40 It vexed him that, when King Arthur and his knights rode out hunting, or went to seek for deeds of high adventure, he must needs be left at home; so after bethinking himself, he resolved to purvey himself of a charger. For this end he begged from the good Lady Bienpensante a long thread of her silk for broidery, wherewith he made a coil, and lay softly in wait near a mouse's hole. By and by, forth came the grey mouse-mother with her six long-whiskered sons and daughters, and what doth our brave page, but gallantly throw his noose over the head of the likeliest-looking of the brood, and vaulting on his back, sat

perched on his grey steed. Master mouse did in truth curvet and dash about wildly, but in vain did he seek to unseat his valiant little rider, who, after having let him weary himself with his antics, led him to a chess-castle, which served him for a watch-tower, and fastened him up at the entrance, with a crumb of cheese for provender.

Anon, when the knights held their jousts and games, and curbed their mettled steeds in the Castle court, forth rode Tom Thumb on his mouse, which he had named Sleekfoot; and though the knights and squires had much ado not to tread on him, so well did he rule him, with his whip made of Greymalkin's whisker, that he taught him, in due time, to obey the rein, nor was he behind in the fairest feats of horsemanship, so that it was a marvel to all beholders.

It was a goodly sight, when King Arthur went to the chase, to see the knights and squires come forth in full array, and the little page, bravely equipped, with his hunting-spear made of a darning-needle, and his bow and arrows at his back, spring into his saddle and ride off with them, fearing no leap over any thistle, however tall. Often would his mother stand at her door to see the gallant train sweep by, with her own boy among them; and Tom often would turn his mouse's head towards her cottage, and what king so happy as he while he sat on her shoulder, and told her all his doings?

His game was usually the fierce dragon-fly, the well-armed stag-beetle, and dangerous hornet; and skilfully did he man

œuvre to avoid the hard grip of the stag-beetle's jaws, and to pierce the hornet's body with his spear, before it could bring its sting to bear upon him. It was he who kept every wasp,

spider, or chafer, from entering the palace to torment such ladies of Queen Guenever as chanced to be troubled with fears; and as for gnats, and all their stinging race, not one had a chance of feasting on the fair cheeks of the dames and damsels of Caerleon, while Tom Thumb with his spear was on the watch.

He only grieved that the bounds of his service were so small, and that even King Arthur himself would sometimes smile somewhat mockingly, when he saw the little champion most earnest and courageous. He recked little of his own ebony chair, and of the chariot of a beauteous sea-shell drawn by six white mice, with which he drove after the Queen on days of state; he would have given these, and far more, to have heard the King say that he had done him true and loyal service.

One day, the chase led to that side of the forest where dwelt Tom Thumb's ancient aunt. The King had caused a hunting feast to be spread on the grass, and all the knights disported themselves on the turf in the heat of the day, till sleep began to fall on them; but Tom held himself alert, and ready to drive off all gnats and flies. Presently he heard a strange "Croak, croak!" and looking up, he beheld his aunt's magpie slyly hopping forwards, her head on one side, and her quick eye glancing round, as she sidled along, and presently had caught up in her thievish bill, a jewel that lay beside the sleeping Sir Cradocke.

Up with our valorous little page, boldly did he seize his lance and rush on the bird, which spread her wings and tail, and made at him with her sharp horny beak, as if with one thrust she would pierce him through. But Tom dexterously turned Sleekfoot aside, and putting his spear in the rest, dashed at her breast, and though her feathers were so close and firm that they had almost turned the spear aside, yet a drop of blood