CHAPTER XIX. THE WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION
"My story," commenced Mr. Morton, "is rather a remarkable one in somerespects; and I cannot vouch for its being true. I shall call it 'TheWonderful Transformation.'
"Thomas Tubbs was a prosperous little tailor, and for forty years hadbeen a resident of the town of Webbington, where he had been born andbrought up. I have called him little, and you will agree with me when Isay that, even in high-heeled boots, which he always wore, he measuredonly four feet and a half in height.
"In spite, however, of his undersize, Thomas had succeeded in winningthe hand of a woman fifteen inches taller than himself. If this extraheight had been divided equally between them, possibly they might haveattracted less observation. As it was, when they walked to church, thetop of the little tailor's beaver just about reached the shoulders ofMrs. Tubbs. Nevertheless, they managed to live very happily together,for the most part, though now and then, when Thomas was a littlerefractory, his better half would snatch him up bodily, and, carryinghim to the cellar, lock him up there. Such little incidents only servedto spice their domestic life, and were usually followed by a warmreconciliation.
"The happy pair had six children, all of whom took after their mother,and promised to be tall; the oldest boy, twelve years of age, beingalready taller than his father, or, rather, he would have been but forthe tall hat and high-heeled boots.
"Mr. Tubbs was a tailor, as I have said. One day there came into hisshop a man attired with extreme shabbiness. Thomas eyed him askance.
"'Mr. Tubbs,' said the stranger, 'as you perceive, I am out at theelbows. I would like to get you to make me up a suit of clothes.'
"'Ahem!' coughed Thomas, and glanced upward at a notice affixed to thedoor, 'Terms, Cash.'
"The stranger's eye followed the direction of Mr. Tubbs'. He smiled.
"'I frankly confess,' he said, 'that I shall not be able to payimmediately, but, if I live, I will pay you within six months.'
"'How am I to feel sure of that?' asked the tailor, hesitating.
"'I pledge my word,' was the reply. 'You see, Mr. Tubbs, I have beensick for some time past, and that, of course, has used up my money. Now,thank Providence, I am well again, and ready to go to work. But I needclothes, as you see, before I have the ability to pay for them.'
"'What's your name?' asked Thomas.
"'Oswald Rudenheimer,' was the reply.
"'A foreigner?'
"'As you may suppose. Now, Mr. Tubbs, what do you say? Do you think youcan trust me?'
"Thomas examined the face of his visitor. He looked honest, and thelittle tailor had a good deal of confidence in the excellence of humannature.
"'I may be foolish,' he said at last, 'but I'll do it.'
"'A thousand thanks!' said the stranger. 'You sha'n't repent of it.'
"The cloth was selected, and Thomas set to work. In three days the suitwas finished, and Thomas sat in his shop waiting for his customer. Atlast he came, but what a change! He was splendidly dressed. The littletailor hardly recognized him.
"'Mr. Tubbs,' said he, 'you're an honest man and a good fellow. Youtrusted me when I appeared penniless, but I deceived you. I am reallyone of the genii, of whom, perhaps, you have read, and lineallydescended from those who guarded Solomon's seal. Instead of making youwait for your pay, I will recompense you on the spot, either in moneyor----'
"'Or what? asked the astonished tailor.
"'Or I will grant the first wish that may be formed in your mind. Nowchoose.'
"Thomas did not take long to choose. His charge would amount to buta few dollars, while he might wish for a million. He signified hisdecision.
"'Perhaps you have chosen wisely,' said his visitor. 'But mind that youare careful about your wish. You may wish for something you don't want.'
"'No fear of that,' said the tailor cheerfully.
"'At any rate, I will come this way six months hence, and should youthen wish to be released from the consequences of your wish, and toreceive instead the money stipulated as the price of the suit, I willgive you the chance.'
"Of course, Thomas did not object, though he considered it rather afoolish proposition.
"His visitor disappeared, and the tailor was left alone. He laid asidehis work. How could a man be expected to work who had only to wish, andhe could come into possession of more than he could earn in a hundred oreven a thousand years?
"'I might as well enjoy myself a little,' thought Mr. Tubbs. 'Let mesee. I think there is a show in the village to-day. I'll go to it.'
"He accordingly slipped on his hat and went out, somewhat to thesurprise of his wife, who concluded that her husband must be going outon business.
"Thomas Tubbs wended his way to the marketplace. He pressed in amongthe people, a crowd of whom had already assembled to witness the show.I cannot tell you what the show was. I am only concerned in telling youwhat Thomas Tubbs saw and did; and, to tell the plain truth, he didn'tsee anything at all. He was wedged in among people a foot or two tallerthan himself. Now, it is not pleasant to hear all about you laughingheartily and not even catch a glimpse of what amuses them so much.Thomas Tubbs was human, and as curious as most people. Just as asix-footer squeezed in front of him he could not help framing, in hisvexation, this wish:
"'Oh, dear! I wish I were ten feet high!'
"Luckless Thomas Tubbs! Never had he framed a more unfortunate wish. Onthe instant he shot up from an altitude of four feet six to ten feet.Fortunately his clothes expanded proportionally. So, instead of beingbelow the medium height, he was raised more than four feet above it.
"Of course, his immediate neighbors became aware of the giganticpresence, though they did not at all recognize its identity with thelittle tailor, Thomas Tubbs.
"At once there was a shout of terror. The crowd scattered in alldirections, forgetting the spectacle at which, the moment before, theyhad been laughing heartily, and the little tailor, no longer little, wasleft alone in the market-place.
"'Good heavens!' he exclaimed in bewilderment, stretching out hisbrawny arm, nearly five feet in length, and staring at it in ludicrousastonishment, 'who'd have thought that I should ever be so tall?'
"To tell the truth, the little man--I mean Mr. Tubbs--at first ratherenjoyed his new magnitude. He had experienced mortification so long onaccount of his diminutive stature, that he felt a little exhilaratedat the idea of being able to look down on those to whom he had hithertofelt compelled to look up. It was rather awkward to have people afraidof him. As he turned to leave the square, for the exhibitor of the showhad run off in the general panic, he could see people looking at himfrom third-story windows, and pointing at him with outstretched fingersand mouths agape.
"'Really,' thought Thomas Tubbs, 'I never expected to be such an objectof interest. I think I'll go home.'
"His house was a mile off, but so large were his strides that fiveminutes carried him to it.
"Now Mrs. Tubbs was busy putting the dinner on the table, and wonderingwhy her husband did not make his appearance. She was fully determinedto give him a scolding in case his delay was so great as to cause thedinner to cool. All at once she heard a bustle at the door. Looking intothe entry, she saw a huge man endeavoring to make his entrance intothe house. As the portal was only seven feet in height, it was notaccomplished without a great deal of twisting and squirming.
"Mrs. Tubbs turned pale.
"'What are you trying to do, you monster?' she faltered.
"'I have come home to dinner, Mary,' was the meek reply.
"'Come home to dinner!' exclaimed Mrs. Tubbs, aghast. 'Who in the nameof wonder are you, you overgrown brute?'
"'Who am I? asked the giant, smiling feebly, for he began to feel alittle queer at this reception from the wife with whom he had lived forfifteen years. 'Ha! ha! don't you know your own husband--your Tommy?'
"'My husband!' exclaimed Mrs. Tubbs, astonished at the fellow'simpudence. 'You, don't mean to say that you are my husband?'
"'Of course I am,
' said Thomas.
"'Then,' said Mrs. Tubbs, 'I would have you know that my husband is arespectable little man, not half your size.'
"'Oh, dear!' thought Thomas. 'Well, here's a kettle of fish; my ownwife won't own me!'
"'So I was,' he said aloud. 'I was only four feet six; but I've--I'vegrown.'
"'Grown!' Mrs. Tubbs laughed hysterically. 'That's a likely story,when it's only an hour since my husband went into the street as short asever. I only wish he'd come in, I do, to expose your imposition.'
"'But I have grown, Mary,' said Tubbs piteously. 'I was out in thecrowd, and I couldn't see what was going on, and so I wished I was tenfeet high; and, before I knew it, I was as tall as I am now.'
"'No doubt,' said Mrs. Tubbs incredulously, 'As to that, all I've gotto say is, that you'd better wish yourself back again, as I sha'n't ownyou as my husband till you do!'
"'Really,' thought Mr. Tubbs, 'this is dreadful! What can I do!'
"Just then one of his children ran into the room.
"'Johnny, come to me,' said his father imploringly. 'Come to yourfather.'
"'My father!' said Johnny, shying out of the room. 'You ain't myfather. My father isn't as tall as a tree.'
"'You see how absurd your claim is,' said Mrs. Tubbs. 'You'll oblige meby leaving the house directly.'
"'Leave the house--my house!' said Tubbs.
"'If you don't, I'll call in the neighbors,' said the courageous woman.
"'I don't believe they'd dare to come,' said Tubbs, smiling queerly atthe recollection of what a sensation his appearance had made.
"'Won't you go?'
"'At least you'll let me have some dinner. I am 'most famished.'
"'Dinner!" said Mrs. Tubbs, hesitating. 'I don't think there's enoughin the house. However, you can sit down to the table.'
"Tubbs attempted to sit down on a chair, but his weight was so greatthat it was crushed beneath him. Finally, he was compelled to sit onthe floor, and even then his stature was such that his head rose to theheight of six feet.
"What an enormous appetite he had, too! The viands on the table seemednothing. He at first supplied his plate with the usual quantity; but asthe extent of his appetite became revealed to him, he was forced to makeaway with everything on the table. Even then he was hungry.
"'Well, I declare,' thought Mrs. Tubbs, in amazement, 'it does take animmense quantity to keep him alive!'
"Tubbs rose from the table, and, in doing so, hit his head a smart whackagainst the ceiling. Before leaving the house he turned to make a lastappeal to his wife, who, he could not help seeing, was anxious to havehim go.
"'Won't you own me, Mary?' he asked. 'It isn't my fault that I am sobig.'
"'Own you!' exclaimed his wife. 'I wouldn't own you for a mint ofmoney. You'd eat me out of house and home in less than a week.'
"'I don't know but I should,' said Mr. Tubbs mournfully. 'I don't seewhat gives me such an appetite. I'm hungry now.'
"'Hungry, after you've eaten enough for six!' exclaimed his wife,aghast. 'Well, I never!'
"'Then you won't let me stay, Mary?'
"'No, no.'
"With slow and sad strides Thomas Tubbs left the house. The world seemeddark enough to the poor fellow. Not only was he disowned by his wife andchildren, but he could not tell how he should ever earn enough to keephim alive, with the frightful appetite which he now possessed. 'I don'tknow,' he thought, 'but the best way is to drown myself at once.' So hewalked to the river, but found it was not deep enough to drown him.
"As he emerged from the river uncomfortably wet, he saw a man timidlyapproaching him. It proved to be the manager of the show.
"'Hello!' said he hesitatingly.
"'Hello!' returned Tubbs disconsolately.
"'Would you like to enter into a business engagement with me?'
"'Of what sort?' asked Tubbs, brightening up.
"'To be exhibited,' was the reply. 'You're the largest man living inthe world. We could make a pretty penny together.'
"Tubbs was glad enough to accept this proposition, which came to himlike a plank to a drowning man. Accordingly an agreement was made that,after deducting expenses, he should share profits with the manager.
"It proved to be a great success. From all quarters people flocked tosee the great prodigy, the wonder of the world, as he was described inhuge posters. Scientific men wrote learned papers in which they stroveto explain his extraordinary height, and, as might be expected, no twoassigned the same cause.
"At the end of six months Tubbs had five thousand dollars as his shareof the profits. But after all he was far from happy. He missedthe society of his wife and children, and shed many tears over hisseparation from them.
"At the end of six months his singular customer again made hisappearance.
"'It seems to me you've altered some since I last saw you,' he said,with a smile.
"'Yes,' said Tubbs dolefully.
"'You don't like the change, I judge?'
"'No,' said Tubbs. 'It separates me from my wife and children, and thatmakes me unhappy.'
"'Would you like to be changed back again!'
"'Gladly,' was the reply.
"Presto! the wonderful giant was changed back into the little tailor. Nosooner was this effected than he returned post-haste to Webbington. Hiswife received him with open arms.
"'Oh, Thomas,' she exclaimed, 'how could you leave us so? On the day ofyour disappearance a huge brute of a man came here and pretended to beyou, but I soon sent him away.'
"Thomas wisely said nothing, but displayed his five thousand dollars.There was great joy in the little dwelling. Thomas Tubbs at once took alarger shop, and grew every year in wealth and public esteem. Theonly way in which he did not grow was in stature; but his six months'experience as a giant had cured him of any wish of that sort. The last Iheard of him was his election to the legislature."
"That's a bully story," said Charlie, using a word which he had heardfrom older boys. "I wish I was a great tall giant."
"What would you do if you were, Charlie?"
"I'd go and fight the rebels," said Charlie manfully.