They gave him plenty of food, yet he never grew bigger, but remained
just the same size as when he was born; still, his eyes were sharp and
sparkling and he soon showed himself to be a clever little fellow,
who always knew well what he was about. One day, as the woodman was
getting ready to go into the wood to cut fuel, he said, "I wish I had
some one to bring the cart after me, for I want to make haste." "Oh,
father!" cried Thumbling, "I will take care of that; the cart shall
be in the wood by the time you want it." Then the woodman laughed and
said, "How can that be? You cannot reach up to the horse's bridle."
"Never mind that, father," said Thumbling; "if my mother will only
harness the horse, I will get into his ear, and tell him which way to
go." "Well," said the father, "we will try for once."
When the time came, the mother harnessed the horse to the cart, and
put Thumbling into its ear; and as he sat there, the little man told
the beast how to go, crying out, "Go on," and "Stop," as he wanted;
so the horse went on just as if the woodman had driven it himself into
the wood. It happened that, as the horse was going a little too fast,
and Thumbling was calling out "Gently, gently!" two strangers came up.
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