•I 
 
 TOM thumb's FOLIO; :g 
 
 t>rt, A 
 Penny Playtliing 
 
 FOR 
 
 LITTLE GIANTS 
 
 AN ABSTRACT OF THE LIFE OF 5 
 
 MR. THUMB, 
 
 a?;d an account of thb 
 
 Wonderful Deeds he Performed* 
 
 YORK: 
 
 Printed by J. Kendxew Colliergatc» 
 
Tom Thumb's Maxim In Trade and 
 
 Politics. 
 
 He who buys this book for a penny, 
 and lays it tip till it is worth two- 
 pence, may get an hundred per cent, 
 that is, one half by the bargain • but 
 let him take care that he gets money 
 honestly, for he that cheats another 
 cheats himself, and instead of gaining 
 shall lose double. 
 
 There is no treasure like honesty, 
 and no gain like a good conscience. 
 
TOM THUMB'S FOLIO; 
 
 OR, A NEW 
 
 PENNY PLAY-THING, 
 
 FOR 
 
 LITTLE GLVNTS: 
 
 TO WHICH IS PRKFIXEB, 
 
 AN ABSTRACT OF THE LIFE OF 
 
 AND AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 Wonderful Deeds he Ferformed. 
 
 PriniccI by J. Keuckcw, Coliiergate, 
 
Boinan Capital and Small JMlcrs 
 
 A E C D E FG H IJ K L 
 M N O P Q 11 S T U 
 V W X Y Z 
 
 abed e f g li i j k I m n o p q r 
 stuvwxyz aice& 
 
 Italic Cap'Ual and Small Lcllcrs. 
 
 A B a D K F G II / JK L M 
 N O P Q R S T U V IV XI Z 
 
 a b c d e fg li ij k I m n op q r 
 s t u V XV ct' y ce vc 4' 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 The Life of Tom Tliiimh. 
 
 Mr. Thomas Thumb was tlie son of 
 !\Ir. Theophiliis Thumb, of Tburab 
 IJall, in Northumberland. V 
 born in the very year in \vlnca b 
 Walter Raleigh lost his life for serv- 
 ing his country, in wliicli pc^oplc were 
 so frightened tliat they have not cared 
 to enter into that st^rvice since. 
 
 At the time of his birth the snn was 
 eclipsed ; which 'tis supposed, stinted 
 his p-rowtJi, and made him almost in* 
 visible. His father was greatly dis- 
 concerted at haviin> such a little tinv 
 toy of a child, and his raoliioi too 
 ibri>:ot licr duty, and took but lilile 
 
6 
 
 notice of him, till a learned gentleman 
 looked at him through a great pair of 
 spectacles, and told the parents, that 
 he would be a very little man, «nd a 
 very great man ; which is a paradox or 
 riddle, we are to resolve by-and-by. 
 
 When his father heard this, he took 
 him upon his little finger, and chirped 
 to him, as a boy does to a bird : and 
 his mother wrapped him up in a piece 
 of cotton, put him into a thimble in- 
 stead of a cradle, and carried him 
 about in her warm pocket. 
 
7 
 
 CHAP. ir. 
 
 How Tom became a greater Man thaft 
 
 kis Mother. 
 
 BEFORE we attempt to prove this 
 We must enquire what makes a great 
 man. Is it a great head? No. Is 
 it a long leg ? No. Is it a big body ? 
 No. Is it a large leg? No^ But 
 ril tell you what it is^ it is a wise 
 head and a good heart that consti- 
 tutes a great mari. It is wisdom 
 and virtue, and that only, which can 
 make us great and happy. A great 
 brute, or a great bear, or a great 
 blockhead, may be made by other 
 means ; but a great man camiot be 
 formed without wisdom and virtue, 
 which are the only two sources of 
 honour and esteem, and will alway.^ 
 make us beloved and admired* 
 
8 
 
 This was sakl !)y the gentleman witfi 
 the great pair of spectacles^ to Tom's 
 father, who immediately bought for 
 his son all Mr. KENliREW\s little 
 penny and halfpenny books, having 
 been informed that they were pub- 
 lished witf] no other view, but to 
 make people wise and good ; and 
 Tom read from tlie beginning to the 
 end, first one volume then another, 
 till he had made himself master ef 
 the whole. 
 
 CHAR III. 
 
 Such is ilie l^atJier^ stick is ilie Son. 
 
 AS Tom's fRtlier had been at Lon- 
 don, served in the Train-Bands, and 
 performed many feats of valour, both 
 
9 
 
 in White-cliapel and Bunbill-fields, 
 he would have his son become a war- 
 rior also. In wliich, I think, he was 
 to blame : for one of his fi gure would 
 Ixave made a better physician, as his 
 diminutive size might permit him to 
 slide down a patient's tlu'oat, and see 
 what was the matter v/ithin^ for v/ant 
 of which intelligence such great misr- 
 takes are often made, tliat tiiose who 
 would get tlie better of a disorder, 
 frequently die of the doctor, Tom, 
 hovv^ev^r, was to be a warrior, and 
 therefore his mother made him a 
 sword of a small needle, a hehiiet of 
 a hazel nut-siiell, and a coat of mail 
 of a mouse's ear; of whicli he vvas 
 so fond, th.at he always went armed, 
 and on that account tlie ricighbours 
 first called him Captain Thumb, then 
 Colonel Ihunib, and at last lie o!)- 
 taincd the iKune of UcneraL 
 
10 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 A sad Disaster. 
 
 THE great people, as weli as the 
 little, are subject to misfortunes, from 
 which neither arms nor honours can 
 protect them. Goody Thumb being 
 one day in a hurry, and unable to 
 dress any thing for her son's dinner, 
 gave him a piece of hog's sweetbread, 
 and bid him carry it to the bake- 
 house to be dressed. Tom put it on 
 his head, and as he was trudging 
 along, a rogue of a raven, who had 
 been long about the village, and was 
 half-tame and half-wild, mistaking 
 both Tom and his meat for a piece of 
 carrion, trussed him up in his claws, 
 and flew witli hkm. to the nest, where 
 be and his black sweet-heart soon 
 despatched the meat^ but left poor 
 
11 
 
 Tom, laid along by the side of their 
 eggs, in a terrible fright, and almost 
 perished with hunger. Tom*s wit, 
 however, soon relieved him fi?om his 
 distress ; for, perceiving that both 
 the ravens were flown to the next tree, 
 and were there gossiping with others 
 of their companions, he slily run his 
 sword into one of the ravens' eggs, on 
 that side which lay downwards, and 
 
1 ^ 
 
 -1 
 
 clnppirjg his mouth to the place, he 
 sucked it^ and made a most delicious 
 repast. 
 
 CFJAP. V. 
 
 I]()w Tom iravelled down the Trcc^ and 
 what happened io him on the Road. 
 
 AFTER a few days, Tom saw with 
 cmiceni, tliat his stock of food greatly 
 decreased, and that when all the eijca'S 
 were done he should be in daufi^er 
 of starving' : and every one knows it 
 must be a sad thing to he starved 
 upon the top of such a higli tree, he 
 therefore watched every opportvmity 
 of making his escape ; and one day, 
 when there was but one egg left, and 
 the ravens were gone out for food^ he 
 
15 
 
 put tlie egg in his pocket opposite 
 the swofd side, and clambering over 
 the nest, let himself down from 
 branch to branch, till the bark of the 
 tree became rough enough for him to 
 lay hold of it, and then clung by de- 
 gress down the body, but in his pro- 
 gress he had like to have been over- 
 set, for the side where the egg lay 
 ^vas abundantly too heavy for the 
 other, and almost weighed him down. 
 Tired and fatigued, however, he at 
 last came to a larjje limb, where there 
 was a squirrel's nest, and there he 
 crept in for shelter, and took up bis^ 
 lodoins: for that night. 
 
 The young squirrels liked his com- 
 pany very well ; but when old Goody 
 tScup^ came home she seemed verv 
 anarv, c'^nd as Galfer Scno;or entered 
 tl^e door told Iiim what had happened. 
 Old Scuo^^- bounced about a good 
 
14 
 
 deal ; but when he saw Tom pull the 
 egg out of his pocket;, and found that 
 he did not intend to feast on their 
 food, he became easy, and they all sat 
 down and supped together. 
 
 In the morning Tom arose with 
 the sun, as every good boy should 
 do, and having kissed the young 
 squirrels, he set out on his journey, 
 travelling still on the rough bark till 
 almost night: when, as it rained very 
 hard, he crept for shelter into a wren's 
 nest. The poor wren w as very much 
 alarmed on seeing so formidable a 
 fellow enter her dwelling, which was 
 then full of young ones ; and as Tom 
 had too much humility to disturb a 
 whole family and make them miser- 
 able, he left the poor distressed mo- 
 ther, and took up his lodging on a 
 bough under the nest, where he was 
 well sheltered from the rain. 
 
15 
 
 Again in the morning he set out 
 with the sun, and travelling hard^ 
 arrived at the bottom of the tree 
 about noon, where he was attacked 
 by an humble bee, with whom he 
 fought a most desperate battle. What 
 the drone took him for, it is hard to 
 say, but he perched on a shrub by the 
 root of the tree, raised his gristly 
 l)eard, and attacked our hero fall in 
 the face. Tom received the blow 
 with that undauntedness which true 
 courage can only inspire, and drawing 
 his sword, returned the blow with the 
 most intrepid resolution. Those, and 
 those only, who have read Homer's 
 battles, or the history of ancient 
 tournaments, can form to themselves a 
 just idea of the conflict, and tell how 
 the thunder of their arms re-echoed 
 from the distant hills. Tom was vic^ 
 tori o II s^ he slew the bee, which to 
 
16 
 
 him a|^ie?ire<l ilreadful as a dra^^on^ 
 and was laiiiiing himself with the flap 
 of his coat, when 'Squire Bugle, one 
 of his father's friends, rode by from 
 hunting". Tom hailed him, but the 
 ""squire was at too great a distance to 
 bear him ; however, one of the 
 hounds w hich Tom knew, making up 
 to him, he laid hokl of his ear, sprung 
 ppon his back, and rode home to his 
 disconsolate father and mother, who 
 received him with joy. 
 
 CHAP. VL 
 
 A great Action. 
 
 IT has been observed, and with 
 great truth, that historians, and the 
 ii^jpgraphers^ or writers of lives, arp 
 
17 
 
 l^^nerally partial^ and lean to the one 
 side or otlier^ as they are influenced 
 by party or have been prejudiced by 
 education ! but we are above all this! 
 while we have the actions of others, 
 under consideration xs^e are to behave 
 as citi^iens of the worlds and pay no 
 particular regard to any party, per- 
 suasion nor country whatsoever. And 
 this we intend as an apology for our 
 presuming to relate the following 
 ex{)loit of Tom Thumbs without de- 
 Glaring whether he was a whii; or a 
 tory. It is impossible that both these 
 may be good, though it has been 
 maliciously said, that one of them 
 put nothing in a box for the other 
 to find it. But leaving all party and 
 folly to madmen and fools, let us 
 proceed with our history. 
 
 Tom Thumb's reputation being 
 firmly established at hon)u, liQ detcr^ 
 
18 
 
 mined to travel into foreign parts, to 
 see if he could find a nation where 
 there were more fools than in his own. 
 He was for a long' time doubtful what 
 part he should first visit. He con-^ 
 suited his friends on this occasion, 
 who generally advised him to sail to 
 the kingdom of cuckoos. He took 
 their advice in part, but not in the 
 whole, for knowing that a ship would 
 be a long time sailing to that very 
 distant country, and considering, at 
 the same time, that a philosopher 
 might travel without baggage, and 
 live upon his brains, he placed him^ 
 self in a bird s nest, at a time wdien 
 the cuckoos were hoarse, and about 
 to leave the country, and laying hold 
 of a strong one, which came to suck 
 the eggs, he mounted on its back, and 
 rode through the air and over the 
 seas at a surprising rate* 
 
19 
 
 We must observe that Tom, like a 
 dutiful child, consulted both his father 
 and mother about his method of tra- 
 velling, who objected to it, and said, 
 that nothing could be learned by fly- 
 ing through a country. As much, 
 quoth Tom, as by gallopping through 
 a country, which is the modern 
 mode of travelling: and therefore 
 after kissing them and receiving their 
 blessing, he set oC 
 
20 
 
 He had comforted and fed the cue* 
 koo, as well as lie conld^ Avilh a pow- 
 der which his mother put into his 
 pocket to serve him as food ; but the 
 poor bird grew so weak, at the time 
 they arrived in his own country, that 
 he fell down ; and our hero, by en- 
 deavouriup- to save liimself, plunged 
 iuto a large me^s of niilk porridge, 
 which was intended for the Giant 
 
21 
 
 Gnimbo^ who was then king of the 
 country. The Giant muttered a few 
 words with a growl^ which made the 
 vallies ring, it was so loud and dreads- 
 ful ; and then taking Mr. Thumb up 
 in his spoon, tlirew him out of the 
 bowl, but not till Tom had first taken 
 a sup or two of the porridge. He lay 
 for some time by the Giant's leg, 
 where he observed all his actions • 
 and finding that he pulled bread out 
 of liis pocket to crumb his mess, 
 Tom slily crept up his coat as he 
 was sitting down, and got into his 
 pocket, where he feasted himself for 
 several days, taking care, whenever 
 the Giant put his hand in his pocket, 
 to hide behind his snuff-box ; an(} 
 whenever the Giant slept, Tom pot 
 liquor out of his can. In the course 
 o\ his residence there, Tom grew so 
 hardy that lie would frequently peep 
 
out of the Giant's pocket when he 
 found him about a bad action, and 
 after giving him a goad with his 
 sword, would boldly call out, sirrah! 
 what are you at there, sirrah ? and 
 then pop in his head, and hide be- 
 hind the snufF-box as usual. The 
 Giant not only missed his bread, but 
 found something instead thereof, 
 which he did not like ; for Tom who 
 had conveyed all the food among the 
 folds of the linings, where he had 
 room to range, made use of the pocket 
 for another purpose, which was not al- 
 together fair, but he could not help it* 
 Tom continued in this situation till 
 he had discovered the Giant's dispo- 
 sition, which he found to be very bad; 
 for he had a heavy head and a hard 
 heart, he was proud, selfish, surly, and 
 so tyrannical and cruel, that his sub- 
 jects were afraid to come near hinu 
 
OH 
 
 Tom knew there would be no travel* 
 ling the country wath safety, till he 
 had broken the spirit of this turbu- 
 lent Giant, and reduced him to bet*^ 
 ter manners ; he therefore would 
 never suffer him to rest^ but when* 
 ever he began to sleep pricked him 
 with his little sword, so that after some 
 time, he was so weak for want of rest^ 
 that he could not walk. 
 
 He kept him in this state till he had 
 learned the language of the country ; 
 and then, as he lay in bed, Tom got 
 upon his breast, and thus addressed 
 him, " Are you inclined, oh Grumbo, 
 to live or die ; if you w^ould live, yovi 
 must take my advice, and behave with 
 humanity and kindness to all your 
 subjects and to me ; but if you would 
 rather die than be good, do so, for 
 nobody will be sorry for you." The 
 Giant^ who had never seen Tombeforp 
 
2^ 
 
 but in his mess of porridge, trembled 
 Avith amazement , and thinking that 
 he fell from the moon to punish his 
 iniquilies, begged that he might live 
 to make amends for his bad behaviour. 
 Then sleep^ says Tom^ and I will see 
 you again. So froni this time Tom 
 left of madinsf him with his little 
 sword, and he soon recovered. After 
 tliis he was fond of Mr. Thumb, and 
 would do nothing without him ; so 
 that T(mi had, in a manner, the whole 
 direction of the kingdom^ and made 
 tlie people happy, by a fair and equal 
 distribution of justice, and for that 
 purpose he rode in pomp in a coach 
 drawn by ten squirrels, all round the 
 kingdom, and wrote a particular ac^ 
 count of the country and the inliabi- 
 tants, their laws, customs, aird man- 
 Dcvs ; which we are told, will soon be 
 xcvh^d aud pubhshed. To avoid 
 
25 
 
 putting the inhabitants to any expence' 
 on his journey, he carried his provi- 
 sions with him in a coach, as traveU 
 lers do in Spain, and ordered his 
 squirrels to draw him every night up 
 a tree, where they all lodged safely, 
 and without either trouble or expence. 
 In this journey, Tom sat as judge 
 in most pkces he canie to, and coiii- 
 malrded the criminals, and those Avho 
 had quarrelled, to come before him, 
 that he might try the one and decide 
 the differences of the other, without 
 favour or afiection. Among the causers 
 I remember a rich man was brought 
 before him and accused of not giving 
 any relief to the poor in the late hard 
 season. Upon which, Tom ordered 
 him to eat out of the hutch, among 
 his own hogs, till his liead and heart 
 were humanized, and he had learned 
 to feel the misfortunes of others. 
 
2f) 
 
 On Ins return to courts he wa^ 
 admired niid applauded both by king^ 
 mid people^ for they had all heard ot" 
 his wise and good behaviour in the 
 country ; and Grumbo made him a 
 present of a sham sham of gold^ and - 
 gave him his daughter in marriage ; 
 who though she was a giantess^ loved 
 little Tom, and always carried hinl 
 about in her bosom ; iior is it a w^on*^ 
 der, for we find the Patagonian wo-* 
 men were fond of our sailors, though 
 they w^ere not half so big as their own 
 countrymen, 
 
 Tom lived happily with his gigantic^ 
 wife for many years, and then died, 
 greatly lamented both by king and 
 people, who erected a splendid mdnu- 
 meat to his memory. 
 
2: 
 
 Tn compiling the history of Tom 
 Thumb, we forgot to mention one 
 circumstance, which gave the Giant 
 king and all his court a great inclina- 
 tion to become acquainted with letters 
 and modern learning. 
 
 There was at this time in the cuc-^ 
 koo court, a natural philosopher^ who 
 never knew the use of letters^ yet was 
 wise and ingenious ; him Mr. Thumb 
 taught to read and write, in order that 
 he might correspond with him when 
 he travelled ; and, on a certain time, 
 when he had occasion to visit the ex- 
 treme parts of his father's kingdoms, 
 with his wife the princess, who was 
 then big with child, he took some 
 pigeons v/ith him, which had been 
 bred by this philosopher, in order to 
 convey the most speedy intelligence 
 to his lather's court of what miirht 
 happen to them on tlie journe3^ Now 
 
28 
 
 it came to pass^ that when they were 
 nii]ety-five thousand miles from home, 
 his princess was brought to bed of two 
 bouncing" boys, nine hundred times 
 as big as himself; upon which he de- 
 spatched a pigeon v/ith a note tied 
 round her leg, directed to his friend 
 the philosopher, to inlbrm his father 
 of that important affair, Domine 
 Doodle, for that was the philosopher's 
 name, carried it immediately to the 
 lving\, and told him that his daughter 
 was brought to bed of Gog and Ma- 
 gog, two great princes. Where are 
 they ? said the Ginnt, greatly rejoiced 
 at the event. Ninety-five thousand 
 miles off, answered the ])hilosopher. 
 
 And how came you by the news ? 
 said his majesty. From that great 
 ])ri]icc Tom Thumb himself, replied 
 tiic other, and threw tlie letter on the 
 lablt^. 
 
29 
 
 The king was gi eallj^ astonished, 
 and taking up the letter, surveyed it, 
 but eould not understand a syllable, 
 nor did he believe a word that v^^as 
 said to him; but thinking it im im- 
 pof^ition, he gave sucli an angry roar, 
 tiiat he shook all the glass out of the 
 windows. However, he despatched 
 nineteen fleet horsemen, ten chariots, 
 twenty trumpeters, and a kettle 
 drummer to enquire into the afiaii ; 
 and finding it true, and seeing the 
 princess enter the palace soon after 
 with Go(j in one arm and Ma^on- in 
 the other, and Tom Tlnunb dancing 
 a jig l)elbre them, he was both de- 
 lighted and surprised ; and taking 
 Mr. Thumb on his little ringer, he 
 asked him how it was possible to talk 
 to his friends, and make himself un- 
 derstood, at the distarx'c of ninetv-^ 
 iivc thuuband miles. Tom let him 
 
into the whole affair, which gave his 
 majesty such an high opinion of let* 
 ters and learning, that he desired Mr. 
 Thumb would draw up some lessons 
 for his instruction. 
 
 THE END. 
 
SI 
 
 On a pretty bay nag 
 Here comes Tommy Tag, 
 Who ne'er knew deceit. 
 Nor would lie nor would cheat ; 
 But was honest and good. 
 As all of you should ; [[did advise. 
 And listened and learn'd whenhisfriend 
 And so became wealthy, and happy, 
 and wise. 
 
PENNY BOOKS 
 
 PRINTED AND SOLD 
 
 BY 
 
 J, KENDREW, COLLIERGATE, 
 
 Mrs, Lovechild's Golden Present • 
 Silver Penny - *. « « 
 
 Death and Burial of Cock Kobin 
 Little Red Riding Hood 
 The Gries of York 
 
 Surprising Adventures of Puss in Boots 
 { .sterns Gift ; or the Bad Boy Reformed 
 Tom Thumb's Folio « - 
 The History of Giles Gingerbread 
 The Hermit of the Forest 
 Entertainments at the Royal Circus 
 The House that Jack Built - 
 The World turned Upside Down 
 The Cries of London - - 
 Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard and 
 
 her Dog, in Three Parts - 
 Cinderilla ; or, the Little Glass Slipper 
 A New-Year's Gift - 
 A Collection of Fables « ^ 
 
 — , — Riddles « * 
 
 The Foundling 
 
 Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe