Safe at Home Again") ?> soon set himself to work to get out, and that was not a very easy task. A hungry wolf was prowling about. Just as Tom had made room to get his head out the wolf seized the stomach and swallowed it. Off he ran, but Tom was not cast down. He began to chat with the wolf, and called out:—

"My good friend, I can show you a famous treat."

"Where is that?"

"In the house near the wood. You can crawl through the drain into the kitchen, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, and everything that is nice." This was the house where Tom Thumb lived. The wolf did not need to be asked twice. That very night he went to the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen. There he ate and drank to his heart's content.

After a while he had eaten so much that he was ready to go away. But now he could not squeeze through the drain. This was just what Tom had thought of, and the little chap set up a great shout.

"Will you be quiet?" said the wolf. "You will wake everybody in the house."

"What is that to me?" said the little man. "You have had your frolic; now I have a mind to be merry myself." And he began again to sing and shout as loud as he could.

The woodman and his wife were awakened by the noise, and peeped through a crack into the kitchen. When they saw a wolf there, they were in a great fright. The woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a scythe.

"You stay behind," said the woodman. "When I have knocked the wolf on the head, you run at him with the scythe." Tom heard all this and said:—

"Father! father! I am here. The wolf has swallowed me."

"Heaven be praised!" said the woodman. "We have found our dear child again. Do not use the scythe, wife, for you may hurt him." Then he aimed a great blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him at once. They opened him, and set Tom Thumb free.

"Ah!" said his father, "what fears we have had for you!"

"Yes, father," he answered. "I have traveled all over the world since we parted, and now I am very glad to get fresh air again."

"Where have you been?"

"I have been in a mouse-hole, in a snail-shell, down a cow's throat, and inside the wolf, and yet here I am again, safe and sound."

"Well, well," said his father. "We will not sell you again for all the riches in the world."

So they hugged and kissed their dear little son, and gave him plenty to eat and drink. And they bought him new clothes, for his old ones had been quite spoiled on his journey.