One day King Arthur asked Tom about his parents, whether they were as
small as Tom, and whether they were rich or poor. Tom told the king his
father and mother were as tall as any of the people at court but they
were poor. At this the king took Tom into the treasury and told him to
take home to his parents as much money as he could carry.
Tom capered for joy. He ran off to get a purse, and into this he stuffed
a silver threepenny piece. He had some trouble hoisting the bag of money
on his back, but at last he succeeded, and set out on his journey.
It was a short distance, but tiny Tom had to rest more than a hundred
times by the way, so that it took him two days and two nights to reach
his father’s house. His mother ran out to meet him, and carried him into
the house more dead than alive.
She and the father were overjoyed to see him, the more so as he had
brought such a great sum of money; but they were grieved that he was so
worn out. His mother placed him tenderly in a walnut shell, and feasted
him three whole days on a hazel nut. To her sorrow this made him sick,
for he should not have eaten a whole nut in less than a month.
In time, Tom was able to run about and to think of returning to court.
But as there had been a heavy fall of rain his mother said the roads were
too wet for him to walk. So when the wind was blowing in the direction of
the king’s castle she made a little umbrella of paper, tied Tom to it,
gave him a puff into the air with her mouth, and away he went back to
King Arthur.