The Weekly Journal. — 1903-09-18 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

CONCERNLNO TOM THUMB.  All my readers wrote the late Max °Melt, in an article just published) know the story and wendroua adventures of Tom Thumb, but probably few of them know that the story Imere than 3,(aX) years old, and can actually be men every day in the firmament; for the origual Tom Thumb is none other than the little star of the sixth magnitude, which is observed close to the second star in the constellation of ,ii Great Rear.  . -According to the traditions of antiquity, the first astronomers were the childrea of Central Asia.  The immense plains where the first F-cmitic civilisations were settled led the ehepberds, daring the serene nights, to contemplate thrheavens find adore their splendour. The Groat Bear naturally attracted the;, attention, and their imagination soon mask them discover in the famous constellation a chariot drawn by three oxen. Ever since those ancient times all the notices of the earth have attributed to the few stars forming the square the part of wheels, and to the other three the part of oxen or horses. The little star just above the second large star was soon given the part of the driver (In the Germanic versions we find this little star called reiterlein, the little rider). The adventures of Tom Thumb differ in all the countries where the story is still told and has been told for thousands of years. All versions, however. agree in attributing the birth of the little hero to the same canoe. A poor couple (sometimes woodcutters, sometimes labourers), had been married a long time. and had no children: "How sad," they thought. " was their cottage without children! If tire could only have one not bigger than the thumb. bow they would love it !" The prayer was heard, and a baby hem. admirably made and of the size of a thumb. was born to them.  In the southern regions of Europe. oho in the east, the woman begged that a baby bee should be born to her, even if one not bigger than a grain of pepper. And, in those countries, Torn Thumb is called Pepperiet. As soon as he was born, happy as the parents were, they felt diaappoinud that their wish had been granted to them so much to th• letter. " What will ever be the use of su:h .t little creature," wondered the father.  "I can be of use to you. father," replies the little fellow, in most of the versions. " I can sit in the ear of the second horse and tell hi:what he has got to do. which way he has to go." In some versions Tom Thumb, or Pewneriet. gets more enterprising. When the horse, in whose car he is sitting, is disobedient. he Roe, inside his nostrils and tickles him until he g-ti his orders followed. Be never grew. this Tom Thumb.: be remained so small that the skin of a flea would have made too large a coat for him, and an an too large a horse: but in every country vi' find him witty and clever, and always able: through Ns ingenuity, to get out of teem: &crape and trouble. In the Greek tale, Pepperlet is in hiding behind a cabbage loaf. An ox eats the leaf and swallows him. The ox is killed, and lat, bowels are thrown away. In them is Pepperlet. A for now muslin,. him: but wherever that fox goes a voice fr,: the inside cries: "Look out, the fox wr,n-; to eat your chickens." The fox dies of bug. and the wolf eats him. Pepnerlet. now inside the wolf, cries. 'Look oat, shepherds, the wolf is corning to devour your sheep." The wolf commits suicide in despair, and our little hero is restored to 11:e parents. In the German version, Tom Thumb is eater. whole by a cow. The cow is soon killed becaue, the people are frightened to hear her talk. Her stomach is thrown on the dunghill. where a famished well arrives and eata Tom Thumb: but the wolf is killed by the little bov's parents, who hear his cries. It is affirmed that it is Tom Thumb which gave to Rabelais the idea of his Gargantua. the famous giant (as you see, the very oliposite  ideal. Of count., the adventures of Tom Thumb art now eelipmed by the tale of Perrault Le Petit Poneet " (in English, "flop o' My Thumb the smallest of seven brothers, who got loat the forest by their parents. but who find Oen way home through the ingenuity of Tom who strewn white pebbles on the way all Ito Ham. tufortnnately. the second time the parent' take the seven little boys. Tom has nothing in his pocket; hut breadernmhs. He strcws them on the way, but the birds cat them and they are lost. Of .-onrse, we know bow they seek refuge in , the giant's honse, how they are to be killed for breakfast, and how thee are saved by Tom, who puts on his brothers' beads the CTOWITS whirl' were placed by the giant on the heads of t daughters, who are killed instead. As long as the world lasts Tom Thumb v be a hero; and I thought it would inters,. readers to be told (or reminded of the fa, ik the Case Irily be) that every night that Or, can be seen they can, with their own cyes, Tom Thumb in the sky.