“Tom, thy rope is too short,” and jeered poor Tom, but he fitted the
man well for it, for he made his bottle, and when he had finished it,
there was supposed to be a load of straw in it of two thousand pounds
weight. Said they—
“What a great fool art thou. Thou canst not carry the tenth of it.”
Tom took the bottle, and flung it over his shoulder, and made no more
of it than we would do of a hundredweight, to the great admiration of
master and man.
Tom Hickathrift’s strength being then known in the town they would no
longer let him lie baking by the fire in the chimney–corner. Every one
would be hiring him for work. They seeing him to have so much strength
told him that it was a shame for him to live such a lazy course of
life, and to be idle day after day, as he did.
Tom seeing them bate him in such a manner as they did, went first to
one work and then to another, but at length came to a man who would
hire him to go to the wood, for he had a tree to bring home, and he
would content him. Tom went with him, and took with him four men
besides; but when they came to the wood they set the cart to the tree,
and began to draw it up with pulleys. Tom seeing them not able to stir
it, said—
“Stand away, ye fools!” then takes it up and sets it on one end and
lays it in the cart.
“Now,” says he, “see what a man can do!”
“Marry, it is true,” said they.
When they had done, as they came through the wood, they met the
woodman. Tom asked him for a stick to make his mother a fire with.
“Ay,” says the woodman. “Take one that thou canst carry.”
Tom espied a tree bigger than that one that was in the cart, and lays
it on his shoulder, and goes home with it as fast as the cart and the
six horses could draw it. This was the second time that Tom’s strength
was known.
When Tom began to know that he had more strength than twenty men, he
then began to be merry and very tractable, and would run or jump; took
great delight to be amongst company, and to go to fairs and meetings,
to see sports and pastimes.
Going to a feast, the young men were all met, some to cudgels, some to
wrestling, some throwing the hammer, and the like. Tom stood a little
to see the sport, and at last goes to them that were throwing the
hammer. Standing a little to see their manlike sport, at last he takes
the hammer in his hand, to feel the weight of it, and bid them stand
out of the way, for he would throw it as far as he could.
“Ay,” said the smith, and jeered poor Tom. “You’ll throw it a great
way, I’ll warrant you.”
Tom took the hammer in his hand and flung it. And there was a river
about five or six furlongs off, and he flung it into that. When he had
done, he bid the smith fetch the hammer, and laughed the smith to scorn.
When Tom had done this exploit he would go to wrestling, though he had
no more skill of it than an ass but what he did by strength, yet he
flung all that came to oppose him, for if he once laid hold of them
they were gone. Some he would throw over his head, some he would lay
down slyly and how he pleased. He would not like to strike at their
heels, but flung them two or three yards from him, ready to break their
necks asunder. So that none at last durst go into the ring to wrestle
with him, for they took him to be some devil that was come among them.
So Tom’s fame spread more and more in the country.
Tom’s fame being spread abroad both far and near, there was not a man
durst give him an angry word, for he was something fool–hardy, and
did not care what he did unto them, so that all they that knew him
would not in the least displease him. At length there was a brewer at
Lynn that wanted a good lusty man to carry his beer to the Marsh and
to Wisbeach, hearing of Tom, went to hire him, but Tom seemed coy,
and would not be his man until his mother and friends persuaded him,
and his master entreated him. He likewise promised him that he should
have a new suit of clothes and everything answerable from top to toe,
besides he should eat of the best. Tom at last yielded to be his man,
and his master told him how far he must go, for you must understand
there was a monstrous giant kept some part of the Marsh, and none durst
go that way, for if they did he would keep them or kill them, or else
he would make bond slaves of them.
But to come to Tom and his master. He did more work in one day than
all his men could do in three, so that his master, seeing him very
tractable, and to look well after his business, made him his head man
to go into the Marsh to carry beer by himself, for he needed no man
with him. Tom went every day in the week to Wisbeach, which was a very
good journey, and it was twenty miles the roadway.
Tom—going so long that wearisome journey, and finding that way the
giant kept was nearer by half, and Tom having now got much more
strength than before by being so well kept and drinking so much strong
ale as he did—one day as he was going to Wisbeach, and not saying
anything to his master or to any of his fellow–servants, he was
resolved to make the nearest way to the wood or lose his life, to win
the horse or lose the saddle, to kill or be killed, if he met with the
giant. And with this resolution he goes the nearest way with his cart
and horses to go to Wisbeach; but the giant, perceiving him, and seeing
him to be bold, thought to prevent him, and came, intending to take his
cart for a prize, but he cared not a bit for him.
The giant met Tom like a lion, as though he would have swallowed him up
at a mouthful.
“Sirrah,” said he, “who gave you authority to come this way? Do you not
know I make all stand in fear of my sight, and you, like an impudent
rogue, must come and fling my gates open at your pleasure? How dare
you presume to do this? Are you so careless of your life? I will make
thee an example for all rogues under the sun. Dost thou not care what
thou dost? Do you see how many heads hang upon yonder tree that have
offended my law? Thy head shall hang higher than all the rest for an
example!”