In an old cottage on the edge of a forest lived a husband and wife. They were simple and honest country folk, day after day they worked hard and sadly had but little joy in their lives.

One day the husband said:

“What a pity that we do not have children. In other homes, it is loud and cheerful, and in ours, it is so sad and quiet…”

“Indeed. I long for the gift of a tiny child, even if it were to be as little as a finger…” the wife replied sighing.

But after a few months was born a tiny tiny baby boy. The joy of the parents knew no bounds! While the boy looked like any other child, he was no bigger than a finger, so they called him Tom Thumb.

One day Tom’s father was off to work in the forest to chop wood. As he was leaving, he said:

“I will ask one of the neighbors, to show up with their wagon at the end of the day and help me take the chopped wood back home.”

“I will do it, father!” exclaimed Tom.

“You, little Tom?” the father laughed kindly, knowing that it was quite impossible, but he did not want to hurt the boy and so said:

“Well, we can try!”

When it was time for his father to return, Tom said to his mother:

“Mother, it’s time to leave for the woods, please harness the horse, and sit me in the horse’s ear.”

She was surprised at her son’s request, but nevertheless did as he asked.

“Hey, haw, whoa, giddy up!” cried the little boy straight into the horse’s ear and the horse walked smoothly, as always, when the wagon is driven by a good driver.

Two strangers happened to be walking by.

“What an odd sight,” exclaimed one. “A wagon is driving by, you can hear the voice of the driver, but no one is in sight.”

“It is a strange affair,” replied the other. “It would be best to know what’s going on. Let’s follow the wagon.”

They watched as the wagon drove into the woods and stopped at the exact spot where a woodman was chopping wood.

“Father, here, I’ve come! I am here, in the horse’s ear!” exclaimed Tom proudly.

The happy father could not believe his eyes! He pulled his son out of his special seat and embraced him with pride.

When the strangers saw Tom Thumb, the first whispered eagerly to the other:

“We need to get this little one. I think we can make good money from him.”

To which the other turned to the logger:

“Good man! Sell us your boy.”

The woodman, of course, firmly refused, but Tom whispered to him softly:

“Sell me, father, and have no fear. For soon I’ll return to you.”

So the woodcutter agreed and the two strangers bought Tom Thumb for a great sum of money.

Illustrations and cover

Arthur Friday

Text by

Alex Fonteyn

English Translation and Adaptation:

Stefan Potocki

Matthew Zamoyski

Typesetter

Andrzej Nowak

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

© Copyright by Tom eMusic

ISBN 978-1-62321-005-2

Tom eMusic

www.tomemusic.com

New York 2012