第236页 / 共626页

This was just what Tom had reckoned upon; and now he began to set

up a great shout, making all the noise he could. 'Will you be

easy?' said the wolf; 'you'll awaken everybody in the house if

you make such a clatter.' 'What's that to me?' said the little

man; 'you have had your frolic, now I've a mind to be merry

myself'; and he began, singing and shouting as loud as he could.

The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped

through a crack in the door; but when they saw a wolf was there,

you may well suppose that they were sadly frightened; and the

woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a scythe. 'Do you stay

behind,' said the woodman, 'and when I have knocked him on the

head you must rip him up with the scythe.' Tom heard all this,

and cried out, 'Father, father! I am here, the wolf has swallowed

me.' And his father said, 'Heaven be praised! we have found our

dear child again'; and he told his wife not to use the scythe for

fear she should hurt him. Then he aimed a great blow, and struck

the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot! and when he was

dead they cut open his body, and set Tommy free.