Tom Hickathrift
Before
the days of William the Conqueror there dwelt a man in the marsh of the
Isle of Ely whose name was Thomas Hickathrift, a poor day labourer, but
so stout that he could do two days' work in one. His one son he called
by his own name, Thomas Hickathrift, and he put him to good learning,
but the lad was none of the wisest, and indeed seemed to be somewhat
soft, so he got no good at all from his teaching.
Tom's father
died, and his mother being tender of him, kept him as well as she
could. The slothful fellow would do nothing but sit in the
chimney-corner, and eat as much at a time as would serve four or five
ordinary men. And so much did he grow that when but ten years old he
was already eight feet high, and his hand like a shoulder of mutton.
One
day his mother went to a rich farmer's house to beg a bottle of straw
for herself and Tom. "Take what you will," said the farmer, an honest
charitable man. So when she got home she told Tom to fetch the straw,
but he wouldn't and, beg as she might, he wouldn't till she borrowed
him a cart rope. So off he went, and when he came to the farmer's,
master and men were all a-trashing in the barn.
"I'm come for the straw," said Tom.
"Take as much as thou canst carry," said the farmer.
So Tom laid down his rope and began to make his bottle.
"Your
rope is too short," said the farmer by way of a joke; but the joke was
on Tom's side, for when he had made up his load there was some twenty
hundred-weight of straw, and though they called him a fool for thinking
he could carry the tithe of it, he flung it over his shoulder as if it
had been a hundred-weight, to the great admiration of master and men.
Tom's
strength being thus made known there was no longer any basking by the
fire for him; every one would be hiring him to work, and telling him 't
was a shame to live such a lazy life. So Tom seeing them wait on him as
they did, went to work first with one, then with another. And one day a
woodman desired his help to bring home a tree. Off went Tom and four
men besides, and when they came to the tree they began to draw it into
the cart with pulleys. At last Tom, seeing them unable to lift it,
"Stand away, you fools," said he, and taking the tree, set it on one
end and laid it in the cart. "Now," said he, "see what a man can do."
"Marry, 't is true," said they, and the woodman asked what reward he'd
take. "Oh, a stick for my mother's fire," said Tom; and espying a tree
bigger than was in the cart, he laid it on his shoulders and went home
with it as fast as the cart and six horses could draw it.
Tom
now saw that he had more strength than twenty men, and began to be very
merry, taking delight in company, in going to fairs and meetings, in
seeing sports and pastimes. And at cudgels, wrestling, or throwing the
hammer, not a man could stand against him, so that at last none durst
go into the ring to wrestle with him, and his fame was spread more and
more in the country.
Far and near he would go to any meetings,
as football play or the like. And one day in a part of the country
where he was a stranger, and none knew him, he stopped to watch the
company at football play; rare sport it was; but Tom spoiled it all,
for meeting the ball he took it such a kick that away it flew none
could tell whither. They were angry with Tom as you may fancy, but got
nothing by that as Tom took hold of a big spar, and laid about with a
will, so that though the whole country-side was up in arms against him,
he cleared his way wherever he came.
It was late in the evening
ere he could turn homeward, and on the road there met him four lusty
rogues that had been robbing passengers all day. They thought they had
a good prize in Tom, who was all alone, and made cocksure of his money.
"Stand and deliver!" said they.
"What should I deliver?" said Tom.
"Your money, sirrah," said they.
"You shall give me better words for it first," said Tom.
"Come, come, no more prating; money we want, and money we'll have before you stir."
"Is it so?" said Tom, "nay, then come and take it."
The
long and the short of it was that Tom killed two of the rogues and
grieviously wounded the other two, and took all their money, which was
as much as two hundred pounds. And when he came home he made his old
mother laugh with the story of how he served the football players and
the four thieves.
But you shall see that Tom sometimes met his
match. In wandering one day in the forest he met a lusty tinker that
had a good staff on his shoulder, and a great dog to carry his bag and
tools.
"Whence come you and whither are you going?" said Tom, "this is no highway."
"What's that to you?" said the tinker; "fools must needs be meddling."
"I'll make you know," said Tom, "before you and I part, what it is to me."
"Well,"
said the tinker, "I'm ready for a bout with any man, and I hear there
is one Tom Hickathrift in the country of whom great things are told.
I'd fain see him to have a turn with him."
"Ay," said Tom, "methinks he might be master with you. Anyhow, I am the man; what have you to say to me?"
"Why, verily, I'm glad we are so happily met."
"Sure, you do but jest," said Tom.
"Marry,
I'm in earnest," said the tinker. "A match?" "'T is done." "Let me
first get a twig," said Tom. "Ay," said the tinker, "hang him that
would fight a man unarmed."
So Tom took a gate-rail for his
staff, and at it they fell, the tinker at Tom, and Tom at the tinker,
like two giants they laid on at each other. The tinker had a leathern
coat on, and at every blow Tom gave the tinker his coat roared again,
yet the tinker did not give way one inch. At last Tom gave him a blow
on the side of his head which felled him.
"Now tinker where are you?" said Tom.
But
the tinker being a nimble fellow, leapt up again, gave Tom a blow that
made him reel again, and followed his blow with one on the other side
that made Tom's neck crack again. So Tom flung down his weapon and
yielded the tinker the better on it, took him home to his house, where
they nursed their bruises and from that day forth there was no
stauncher pair of friends than they two.
Tom's fame was thus
spread abroad till at length a brewer at Lynn, wanting a good lusty man
to carry his beer to Wisbeach went to hire Tom, and promised him a new
suit of clothes from top to toe, and that he should eat and drink of
the best, so Tom yielded to be his man and his master told him what way
he should go, for you must understand there was a monstrous giant who
kept part of the marsh-land, so that none durst go that way.
So
Tom went every day to Wisbeach a good twenty miles by the road. 'T was
a wearisome journey thought Tom and he soon found that the way kept by
the giant was nearer by half. Now Tom had got more strength than ever,
being well kept as he was and drinking so much strong ale as he did.
One day, then, as he was going to Wisbeach, without saying anything to
his master or any of his fellow servants, he resolved to take the
nearest road or to lose his life; as they say, to win horse or lose
saddle. Thus resolved, he took the near road, flinging open the gates
for his cart and horses to go through. At last the giant spied him, and
came up speedily, intending to take his beer for a prize.
He met
Tom like a lion as though he would have swallowed him. "Who gave you
authority to come this way?" roared he. "I'll make you an example for
all rogues under the sun. See how many heads hang on yonder tree. Yours
shall hang higher than all the rest for a warning."
But Tom made him answer, "A fig in your teeth you shall not find me like one of them, traitorly rogue that you are."
The
giant took these words in high disdain, and ran into his cave to fetch
his great club, intending to dash out Tom's brains at the first blow.
Tom
knew not what to do for a weapon; his whip would be but little good
against a monstrous beast twelve foot in length and six foot about the
waist. But whilst the giant went for his club, bethinking him of a very
good weapon, he made no more ado, but took his cart, turned it upside
down, and took axle-tree and wheel for shield and buckler. And very
good weapons they were found!
Out came the giant and began to
stare at Tom. "You are like to do great service with those weapons,"
roared he. "I have here a twig that will beat you and your wheel to the
ground." Now this twig was as thick as some mileposts are, but Tom was
not daunted for all that, though the giant made at him with such force
that the wheel cracked again. But Tom gave as good as he got, taking
the giant such a weighty blow on the side of the head that he reeled
again. "What," said Tom, "are you drunk with my strong beer already?"
So
at it they went, Tom laying such huge blows at the giant, down whose
face sweat and blood ran together, so that, being fat and foggy and
tired with the long fighting, he asked Tom would he let him drink a
little? "Nay, nay," said Tom, "my mother did not teach me such wit;
who'd be a fool then?" And seeing the giant beginning to weary and fail
in his blows, Tom thought best to make hay whilst the sun shone, and,
laying on as fast as though he had been mad, he brought the giant to
the ground. In vain were the giant's roars and prayers and promises to
yield himself and be Tom's servant. Tom laid at him till he was dead,
and then, cutting off his head, he went into the cave, and found a
great store of silver and gold, which made his heart to leap. So he
loaded his cart, and after delivering his beer at Wisbeach, he came
home and told his master what had befallen him. And on the morrow he
and his master and more of the towns-folk of Lynn set out for the
giant's cave. Tom showed them the head, and what silver and gold there
was in the cave, and not a man but leapt for joy, for the giant was a
great enemy to all the country.
The news was spread all up and
down the country-side how Tom Hickathrift had killed the giant. And
well was he that could run to see the cave; all the folk made bonfires
for joy, and if Tom was respected before, he was much more so now. With
common consent he took possession of the cave and every one said, had
it been twice as much, he would have deserved it. So Tom pulled down
the cave, and built himself a brave house. The ground that the giant
kept by force for himself, Tom gave part to the poor for their common
land, and part he turned into good wheat-land to keep himself and his
old mother, Jane Hickathrift. And now he was become the chiefest man in
the country-side; 't was no longer plain Tom, but Mr. Hickathrift, and
he was held in due respect I promise you. He kept men and maids and
lived most bravely; made him a park to keep deer, and time passed with
him happily in his great house till the end of his days.
| All English Fairy Tales
THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
THE PIED PIPER OF FRANCHVILLE
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
TOM TIT TOT
THE THREE SILLIES
THE ROSE-TREE
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG
HOW JACK WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE
MR. VINEGAR
NIX NOUGHT NOTHING
JACK HANNAFORD
BINNORIE
MOUSE AND MOUSER
CAP O' RUSHES
TEENY-TINY
THE MASTER AND HIS PUPIL
TITTY MOUSE ND TATTY MOUSE
JACK AND HIS GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX
HENNY-PENNY
CHILDE ROWLAND
MOLLY WHUPPIE
THE RED ETTIN
MASTER OF ALL MASTERS.
THE GOLDEN ARM
THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
MR. FOX
LAZY JACK
JOHNNY-CAKE
EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER
MR. MIACCA
WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
THE STRANGE VISITOR
THE LAIDLY WORM OF SPINDLESTON HEUGH
THE CAT AND THE MOUSE.
THE FISH AND THE RING.
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
KATE CRACKERNUTS
THE CAULD LAD OF HILTON
THE ASS, THE TABLE, AND THE STICK
FAIRY OINTMENT
THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END.
THE THREE HEADS OF THE WELL |