stained her white plumes, and, dropping the jewel, she fluttered back in affright.

Tom was about to take up the jewel, which was almost more than he could lift, when a new enemy fell on him. His aunt's great black cat sprung from behind on poor Sleekfoot, before Tom was aware, and carried both him and his rider up into a tree, where she was beginning, after the fashion of cats, to torment the poor mouse, when Tom drew his sword, and made a bold thrust at her green eyes. But he was sorely bestead, for Mag had recovered from her fright, and was making at him with open beak, while the cat caught poor Sleekfoot in her teeth, and the little page had then and there surely met his end, had not Sir Tristrem's red, blue, and white hound, Petticrewe, begun to bark so loud as to awaken the whole company."

The magpie flew away, and Tom, on a branch of the tree, seized his mouse's tail, and again waved his sword at the cat. She loosed her hold, and, hissing, climbed into the topmost branches, while Petticrewe and all the dogs clamoured round the tree, and Tom, holding on by an oak-leaf, looked disconsolately upon his poor wounded mouse, lying quaking beside him; but Sir Tristrem coming beneath where he stood, called to him, "Never fear, little gem of pages! Here is my velvet cap. Leave hold! I will catch you in it safe and soft."

Tom let himself fall into the good knight's cap, and dragged down with him Sleekfoot, bleeding from the cat's teeth, but still not mortally hurt; and when he had told his tale, good Sir

Cradocke thanked him with all his heart, and told him he had done him a good act of friendship, for that jewel was a token from his own dear lady, the best wife in all the Court, and he would not have lost it for all Strath Clwyd and Cornwall.

And," said King Arthur, "our little page has shewn a temper as valiant as any knight of us all. A very dragon and lion hath he encountered, and turned them both to flight!"

Nay," said Tom, blushing; " methought that it was the hound Petticrewe that discomfited them."

"He hath another knightly virtue, Sir King; he speaks the truth and boasts not," said Sir Percival.

"Yea, truly," said the King, "I see not but that he deserves the order of knighthood, as well as if his inches were feet."

Whereupon Tom smiled to think his crabbed aunt had done him a good office against her will.

CHAPTER X.

OF THE KNIGHTHOOD OF SIR THOMAS THUMB, AND HOW
HE WENT WITH KING ARTHUR ON THE ADVENTURE
OF THE LOATHLY LADY.

UEEN Mab, who ever had speedy tidings from the Court of Caerleon, no sooner learnt that Tom Thumb was about to receive the order of Knighthood, than she caused her elfin armourers to prepare such a suit of harness as was worn by the captains of King Oberon's own guard, and it was placed complete beside Tom's bed the next morning.42

The armour of plate was from the diamond beetle, with a hawberk of the minnow's shining scales, the helmet came glowing from the head of a shrimp, and the shield, of the white lining of a cockle-shell, bore an axe, with the legend,

"Small strokes fell great oaks."

The lance came from a blackthorn-bush, and was tipped with the sting of the bee, the dagger and sheath were supplied by the

H

gnat, and the points of the saffron-blossom had been hardened into golden spurs. But for his sword, that was of mortal mould, welded by Tom himself on the armourer's forge, from a needle wherewith Sir Cradocke's dame had broidered the hangings for the King's Chapel.

The armour was duly blest, and Tom took his watch in the Castle Chapel, where no Hobgoblin could reach him, though many elvish forms flitted about the moon-lit windows, and made becks and signs to him to join in their dances, or mopped and mowed at the little fellow, as he stood in his firm, steady attitude, as ready and composed as if he had been one of the full-grown esquires who watched around.

With morning, Tom was washed in a white clam-shell, and clothed in his gossamer dress, white as snow, came forth. King Arthur, holding Excalibar very lightly, touched him with the point, and bade him arise a Knight. Sir Cradocke's dame, and the Lady Bienpensante, would fain have done on his sword and spurs, but their hands were too large, and unseen fingers were busy, taking the office on themselves, till Sir Thomas Thumb stood in his full and glittering armour; arrayed, indeed, by fairies, but only with such weapons as could endure the blessing, and with the will to turn them to the use of his royal master.

He scattered largesse from the shepherd's purse that hung at his girdle, largesse of choice flower-seeds from Fairy-land; and he sat down to the banquet at the Round Table, pledging King Arthur in his own cup.

In the midst of the banquet, there entered a fair damsel, who, kneeling down, craved a boon of King Arthur.43 She told how a dreadful giant, who dwelt in the Castle of Terne Wadling, had stolen away her own true knight, and would without doubt devour him, if he were not speedily rescued; wherefore she prayed King Arthur to afford him succour.

Up then started the good King, and took Excalibar in his hand, and Sir Thomas Thumb, not to be behind in proving himself a good knight, and true, mounted upon his mouse Sleekfoot, now fully recovered of the hurts which the cat had given to him. So they rode forth towards the Castle, the King first, and Sir Thomas speeding along close behind him, his heart swelling with the trust that he should shew that his chivalry was not to be despised.

But, behold! as they drew near the Castle, Sir Thomas felt his lance become so weighty, that he could scarcely bear it, his helmet bowed down his head under his plume of a wren's golden crest, and Sleekfoot drooped his whiskers, while his tail grew weak and limp, and his limbs failed. Sir Thomas thought to rest himself and his charger by mounting to the King's saddle; but it was no otherwise with Arthur himself, for the good King sat bending in his saddle, and his arms could no longer sustain the burden of the shield Pridwen, nor the lance Ron.

For the truth was, that the ground round about the Castle was enchanted, so that such knights as ventured thereon,