Tom Hickathrift

Long before the days of William the Conqueror, there lived a man in the marshlands of the Isle of Ely named Thomas Hickathrift. He was a poor day laborer, but so strong that he could do two days' work in one. He had a son, whom he also named Thomas Hickathrift, and he sent him to school to learn his letters. But the lad was none too clever, and indeed seemed a bit simple, so he gained little from his schooling.

When Tom's father died, his mother, being fond of him, cared for him as best she could. But the lazy fellow would do nothing but sit by the chimney corner, eating at one sitting enough for four or five ordinary men. He grew so much that by the time he was ten years old he was already eight feet tall, and his hand was like a shoulder of mutton.

One day his mother went to a rich farmer's house to beg a bundle of straw for herself and Tom. "Take what you will," said the farmer, an honest and charitable man. So when she got home, she told Tom to fetch the straw, but he wouldn't, and though she begged him, he refused until she borrowed a cart rope for him. So off he went, and when he came to the farmer's, the farmer and his men were all threshing in the barn.

"I've come for the straw," said Tom.

"Take as much as you can carry," said the farmer.

So Tom laid down his rope and began to make up his bundle. "Your rope is too short," said the farmer as a joke, but the joke was on the farmer, for when Tom had finished, the bundle weighed some twenty hundredweight.

Though they all called him a fool for thinking he could carry even a tenth of it, he flung it over his shoulder as if it had been a mere hundredweight, to the great wonder of the farmer and his men.

Once Tom's strength was known, there was no more lounging by the fire for him. Everyone wanted to hire him, telling him it was a shame to live such a lazy life. So Tom, seeing how they sought him out, went to work first for one and then for another. One day a woodman asked his help to bring home a tree. Off went Tom with four other men, and when they came to the tree, they began to haul it into the cart with pulleys. At last Tom, seeing they could not lift it, said, "Stand away, you fools!" and, taking the tree, set it on end and laid it in the cart. "Now," he said, "see what a man can do." "Indeed, it's true!" they said, and the woodman asked what reward he wanted. "Oh, just a stick for my mother's fire," said Tom, and spying a tree bigger than the one in the cart, he laid it on his shoulders and went home with it as fast as the cart and six horses could go.

Tom now realized he had more strength than twenty men, and he grew very merry, delighting in company and going to fairs and gatherings, watching sports and pastimes. At cudgels, wrestling, or throwing the hammer, no man could stand against him, so that at last none dared enter the ring to wrestle with him, and his fame spread far and wide.

He would go far and near to any meeting, such as football play. One day, in a part of the country where he was a stranger and no one knew him, he stopped to watch a football match; it was rare sport. But Tom spoiled it all, for when the ball came near him, he gave it such a kick that it flew away no one knew where. The players were angry with Tom, as you might expect, but they got nothing by it, for Tom seized a big wooden spar and laid about him with a will, so that even though the whole countryside rose against him, he fought his way clear wherever he went.

It was late in the evening before he could turn homeward, and on the road he met four sturdy rogues who had been robbing travelers all day. They thought they had a fine prize in Tom, who was all alone, and were sure of getting his money.

"Stand and deliver!" they cried.

"What should I deliver?" said Tom.

"Your money, fellow," they said.

"You'll have to ask more politely," said Tom.

"Come, come, no more talk; we want your money, and we'll have it before you stir."

"Is that so?" said Tom. "Then come and take it."

The short and the long of it was that Tom killed two of the rogues and grievously wounded the other two, and took all their money, which came to two hundred pounds. And when he got home, he made his old mother laugh with the tale of how he served the football players and the four thieves.

But you shall see that Tom sometimes met his match. One day, as he wandered in the forest, he met a sturdy tinker carrying a good staff on his shoulder, with a great dog to carry his bag and tools.

"Where do you come from, and where are you going?" said Tom. "This is no highway."

"What's that to you?" said the tinker. "Fools must be meddling."

"I'll make you know before we part," said Tom, "what it is to me."

"Well," said the tinker, "I'm ready for a bout with any man, and I hear there's one Tom Hickathrift in this country of whom great things are told. I'd like to meet him and have a turn with him."

"Ah," said Tom, "I think he might be master over you. Anyhow, I am the man. What have you to say to me?"

"Why, truly, I'm glad we've met so happily."

"You must be joking," said Tom.

"Indeed, I'm in earnest," said the tinker. "A match?" "It's done." "Let me first get a stick," said Tom. "Ay," said the tinker, "hang him who would fight a man unarmed."

So Tom took a gate-rail for his staff, and at it they fell, the tinker at Tom and Tom at the tinker, like two giants they laid on at each other. The tinker wore a leather coat, and at every blow Tom gave, the coat roared again, yet the tinker did not give ground an inch. At last Tom gave him a blow on the side of the head that felled him.

"Now, tinker, where are you?" said Tom.

But the tinker, being a nimble fellow, leapt up again and gave Tom a blow that made him stagger, and followed it with one on the other side that made Tom's neck crack again. So Tom flung down his weapon and yielded the tinker the better of it. He took him home to his house, where they nursed their bruises, and from that day forth they were the closest of friends.

Tom's fame spread far, until at length a brewer at Lynn, needing a strong man to carry his beer to Wisbeach, went to hire Tom. He promised him a new suit of clothes from top to toe and that he should eat and drink of the best. So Tom agreed to be his man, and his master told him which way to go, for you must know there was a monstrous giant who kept part of the marshland, so that no one dared go that way.

So Tom went every day to Wisbeach, a good twenty miles by the road. It was a wearisome journey, thought Tom, and he soon found that the way kept by the giant was nearly half as short. Now Tom had grown even stronger, being well fed and drinking plenty of strong ale. One day, as he was going to Wisbeach, without telling his master or any of his fellow servants, he resolved to take the shortest road or die trying—as they say, "win horse or lose saddle." So he took the near road, flinging open the gates for his cart and horses to pass through. At last the giant spied him and came up quickly, intending to seize his beer as a prize.

He met Tom like a lion as if he would swallow him. "Who gave you permission to come this way?" he roared. "I'll make an example of you for all rogues under the sun. See how many heads hang on yonder tree? Yours shall hang higher than all the rest as a warning."

But Tom answered, "A fig for your threats! You'll not find me like one of them, you treacherous rogue."

The giant took these words in high disdain and ran into his cave to fetch his great club, intending to dash out Tom's brains at the first blow.

Tom didn't know what to do for a weapon; his whip would be little use against such a monstrous beast, twelve feet long and six feet around the waist. But while the giant went for his club, Tom thought of a very good weapon. He made no more ado but took his cart, turned it upside down, and used the axle-tree and wheel for shield and buckler. And very good weapons they proved to be!

Out came the giant and began to stare at Tom. "You're likely to do great things with those weapons!" he roared. "I have here a twig that will beat you and your wheel to the ground." Now this "twig" was as thick as a milepost, but Tom was not daunted, though the giant came at him with such force that the wheel cracked again. But Tom gave as good as he got, landing a mighty blow on the side of the giant's head that made him stagger. "What," said Tom, "are you drunk on my strong ale already?"

So they went at it, Tom raining huge blows on the giant, down whose face sweat and blood ran together. At last, being fat and weary from the long fight, the giant asked Tom if he could have a drink. "No, no," said Tom. "My mother didn't teach me that trick. Who'd be a fool then?" And seeing the giant beginning to tire and weaken, Tom thought it best to make hay while the sun shone. He laid on as fast as if he were mad and brought the giant to the ground. In vain were the giant's roars and prayers and promises to yield and become Tom's servant. Tom kept striking until the giant was dead. Then he cut off his head and went into the cave, where he found a great store of silver and gold, which made his heart leap. He loaded his cart, and after delivering his beer at Wisbeach, he came home and told his master all that had happened.

The next day, he and his master and more of the townsfolk of Lynn set out for the giant's cave. Tom showed them the head and the silver and gold, and everyone jumped for joy, for the giant had been a great enemy to all the country.

The news spread all up and down the countryside of how Tom Hickathrift had killed the giant.

And happy was he who could run to see the cave; all the folk made bonfires for joy. If Tom was respected before, he was much more so now. With common consent, he took possession of the cave, and everyone said that had it been twice as much, he would have deserved it. So Tom pulled down the cave and built himself a fine house. The land that the giant had kept by force, Tom gave part to the poor for their common land, and part he turned into good wheat-land to support himself and his old mother, Jane Hickathrift. And now he became the most important man in the countryside; it was no longer plain Tom but Mr. Hickathrift, and he was held in due respect, I promise you. He kept men and maids and lived most grandly. He made a park to keep deer, and time passed happily in his great house till the end of his days.