Amusing Prose Chap-Books; Chiefly of Last Century (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE HISTORY THOMAS HICKATHRIFT PART THE FIRST. Chapter I. Tom's Birth and Parentage. In the reign of William the Conqueror, having read in ancient records, there lived in the Isle of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, a man named Thomas Hickathrift, a poor labourer, yet he was an honest, stout man, and able to do as much work in a day as two ordinary men. Having only one son, he called him after his own name, Thomas. The old man put his son to school, but he would not learn anything. It pleased God to call the old man aside, and his mother v being tender of her son, she maintained him by her own labour as well as she could; but ajl his delight was in the corner; and he ate as much at once as would serve five ' J ordinary men. At ten years old he was near six feet high, and three in thickness; his hand was much like to a shoulder of mutton, and every other part proportionable; but his great strength was yet unknown. Chapter II. How Thomas Hickathrift's Great Strength Came to be Known. Tom's mother, being a poor widow, went to a rich farmer's house to beg a bundle of straw to shift herself and her son Thomas. The farmer, being an honest charitable man, bid Vher take what she wanted. She going home to her son Thomas, said, Pray go to such a place, and fetch me a bundle of straw; I have asked leave. He swore he would not go. Nay, prithee go, said the good old mother. He again swore he would not go, unless she would borrow him a cart rope. She being willing to please him, went and borrowed one. Then taking up the cart rope, away he went, and coming to the farmer's house, the master was in the barn, and two other men threshing. Said Tom, I am come for a bundle of straw. Tom, said the farmer, take as much as thou can'st carry. So he laid down...