Week 1 Story: Tom, the Boy Who Causes Trouble

boy jumping from hay bales

Source: MyScrappyLife

Tom, Tom, the piper’s son

Tom was an ornery little boy. At the ripe age of 8, he was getting into all the trouble he could.

Just last week, he was scaring the cows in attempt to make them fall over. He would sneak through the fields, run up behind them and scream as loud as he could. His parents definitely had their hands full with this one.  

The week before that, he was in the chicken coop tormenting all the poor chickens. He would chase them around and try to catch them. The chickens did not like that at all.

Mama and Papa would tell him time after time, “Leave the animals alone, Tom! How would you like to get chased around and scared?”

“I don’t think I would mind it,” replied Tom.

Stole a pig, and away he run!

This week, Tom went after the pigs. He liked the screeching sound they made when you chased them. 

Unlike the chickens that could flutter off when Tom got close enough, the pigs only had so much space to run. Eventually Tom caught one of the older, bigger piglets.

Tom thought, “Maybe if I catch a pig, and take it to the cow field, the pigs screams will make the cows fall over!” So, that’s what he did. Unfortunately, it did not go as he planned.

As soon as Tom opened the gate, the piglet flailed itself around until it broke loose of Tom’s grip, and away he ran. Tom chased the piglet for what seemed like hours, but the piglet was just so fast outside of his pen.

“Thomas James! What have you done?” yelled Papa.

Tom stopped in his tracks, frozen in fear. He knew once Papa used his middle name, he was in serious trouble.  

The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,

Papa grabbed his gun and got the piglet in one attempt. Tom was just trying to have fun. He didn’t want the piglet to get in trouble too.

Papa turned to Tom with anger in his eyes, and Tom knew it was time to run. He ran straight to the house and right up to Mama. She tried to comfort the scared Tom, for she had no idea what had just happened outside.

Papa reached the house, and ripped Tom away from Mama. He was furious. “I’ve had it Tom! This is the last straw! Mama and I have been easy on you, but now that’s changing,” Papa yelled at Tom.

Then he gave him a whooping of a lifetime.

And Tom went roaring down the street.

Tom couldn’t feel his behind once Papa was done. He ran all around the yard. He jumped into the pig’s mud hoping the cool would take away the pain. He couldn’t sit down for days.

It’s been 2 months since Tom has bothered any of the animals. Mama and Papa have enjoyed the peace and quiet. Though Tom, has been itching to wreak some sort of havoc. Then he remembers what happened the last time, and the feeling goes away.  

Author's Note: The original story talks of a little boy that seems to give his parents trouble constantly. I took that story and added little things that I could imagine a little boy doing to cause turmoil for animals and parents. In the nursery rhyme, it says that he stole a pig and let it run free. I took this as the final straw for his parents. It wasn't the first time he had done something of the sorts, but they wanted to make sure it was his last. 

Bibliography:  "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son" from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang. Web Source