"Ah, ha! my little Tommy," said the boy, "so I
have caught you stealing my cherry-stones at last, and you shall be
rewarded for your thievish tricks." On saying this, he drew the string
tight round his neck, and gave the bag such a hearty shake, that poor
little Tom's legs, thighs, and body were sadly bruised. He roared out
with the pain, and begged to be let out, promising never to be guilty
of such bad practices again.
A short time afterwards his mother was making a batter pudding, and
Tom being very anxious to see how it was made, climbed up to the edge
of the bowl; but unfortunately his foot slipped and he plumped over
head and ears into the batter, unseen by his mother, who stirred him
into the pudding-bag, and put him in the pot to boil.
The batter had filled Tom's mouth, and prevented him from crying; but,
on feeling the hot water, he kicked and struggled so much in the pot,
that his mother thought that the pudding was bewitched, and, instantly
pulling it out of the pot, she threw it to the door. A poor tinker,
who was passing by, lifted up the pudding, and, putting it into his
budget, he then walked off. As Tom had now got his mouth cleared of
the batter, he then began to cry aloud, which so frightened the tinker
that he flung down the pudding and ran away.
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