Mr. Mike

Tommy Grimes was sometimes a good boy and sometimes a bad boy, but when he was bad, he was downright terrible. And then his mother would say to him:

"Oh, Tommy, Tommy, be a good boy. Don't run away from our street, or Mr. Mike will take you!"

But still, when Tommy was being a bad boy, he would always run away from his street. And one day, just as he turned the corner, Mr. Mike grabbed him, stuffed him headfirst into a sack, and carried him off.

Mr. Mike arrived home, pulled Tommy out of the sack, set him on the floor, and felt his arms and legs.

"Hmm, a bit tough," Mr. Mike shook his head. "Well, it doesn't matter, I don't have anything else for dinner, and if I boil you well, it won't be so bad. Oh, Lord, I forgot about the herbs! Without them, you'll be completely tasteless. Sally! Can you hear me? Come here, Sally!" he called for Mrs. Mike.

Mrs. Mike came out of another room and asked:

"What is it, dear?"

"Here's a boy—he's our dinner," said Mr. Mike. "But I forgot about the herbs. Keep an eye on him while I go fetch them."

"Don't worry, dear," replied Mrs. Mike, and Mr. Mike left.

Then Tommy Grimes asked Mrs. Mike:

"Does Mr. Mike always eat boys for dinner?"

"Quite often, little one," answered Mrs. Mike, "if the boys misbehave and cross his path."

"Tell me, don't you have anything else for dinner besides me? Like pudding?" asked Tommy.

"Oh, how I love pudding!" sighed Mrs. Mike. "But I rarely get to eat it."

"You know, my mom is making pudding today!" said Tommy Grimes. "And she'll surely give you a piece if I ask her. Should I run and get some for you?"

"You're a clever boy!" Mrs. Mike was delighted. "Just don't dawdle, make sure you're back in time for dinner."

Tommy bolted away, overjoyed that he had gotten off so easily.

And for many, many days after that, he was as good a boy as one could ever dream of. He never, ever ran away from his street again.

But he couldn't stay good forever! And one fine day, he ran around the corner again. And wouldn't you know it, just as he reached the other street, Mr. Mike grabbed him, stuffed him into a sack, and carried him home.

He brought Tommy to his house, dumped him out of the sack, and immediately recognized him.

"Ah," he said, "you're that same boy who played a nasty trick on us! You won't get away with it this time! I'll keep an eye on you myself. Now, get under the couch!"

Poor Tommy had to crawl where he was told, and Mr. Mike sat down on the couch and waited for the water in the pot to boil. He waited and waited, but the water just wouldn't boil, so finally Mr. Mike got fed up and said:

"Hey, you down there! Stick out a leg, I'll tie it up so you can't run away this time."

Tommy stuck out a leg, and Mr. Mike unbuckled his belt and tied it firmly to the oak table. Then he called:

"Sally! Sally, dear!"

But no one answered. So Mr. Mike went into the next room to look for Mrs. Mike, and while he was searching, Tommy crawled out from under the couch and dashed for the door. After all, he hadn't stuck out his own leg from under the couch, but the couch's leg.

And so Tommy Grimes returned home once again and never, ever ran around the corner again until he grew up and was allowed to go anywhere on his own.

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Mr. Mike

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