13
The cook, who was an ill-natured fel-
low, being in a terrable rage at Tom for
frightening and scalding him with the
furmenty, went straight to the king, and
represented that Tom had jumped into
the royal furmenty, and thrown it down
out of mere mischief. The king was so
enraged when he heard this, that he or-
dered Tom to be seized and tried for high
treason; and there being no person who
dared to plead for him, he was condemn-
ed to be beheaded immediately.
On hearing this dreadful sentence pro-
nounced, poor Tom fell a-trembling with
fear, but, seeing no means of escape, and
observing a miller close to him gaping
with his great mouth, as country boobies
do at a fair, he took a leap, and fairly
jumped down his throat. This exploit
was done with such activity, that not one
person present saw it, and even the miller
did not know the trick which Tom had
played upon him. Now, as Tom had.
disappeared, the court broke up, and the
miller went home to his mill.
When Tom heard the mill at work,
he knew he was clear of the court, and
therefore he began to tumble and roll
