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now take me down!' So his father took hold of the horse with one

hand, and with the other took his son out of the horse's ear, and

put him down upon a straw, where he sat as merry as you please.

The two strangers were all this time looking on, and did not know

what to say for wonder. At last one took the other aside, and

said, 'That little urchin will make our fortune, if we can get

him, and carry him about from town to town as a show; we must buy

him.' So they went up to the woodman, and asked him what he would

take for the little man. 'He will be better off,' said they,

'with us than with you.' 'I won't sell him at all,' said the

father; 'my own flesh and blood is dearer to me than all the

silver and gold in the world.' But Tom, hearing of the bargain

they wanted to make, crept up his father's coat to his shoulder

and whispered in his ear, 'Take the money, father, and let them

have me; I'll soon come back to you.'