Reading Notes: English Fairy Tales, Part B

Story: Mr. Miacca

Story source: English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1890).

Mr. Miacca, Source

Tommy was sometimes a good boy and sometimes a bad boy. He was told not to go to the street or else Mr. Miacca will get him. One day, he was being a bad boy and went to the street. Mr. Miacca couth Tommy and put him into a bad upside down.

He took Tommy to his home. Mr. Miacca was excited because he got a boy to eat for supper. However, he forgot the herbs. He called Mrs. Miacca to watch over the boy while Mr. Miacca went to get the herbs. 

Tommy asked Mrs. Miacca if Mr. Miacca always have little boys for supper. Mrs. Miacca replied that only if the little boys are bad and get on his way. Tommy asked Mrs. Miacca if she liked pudding, she said yes. He said that he would go to his mother and bring back pudding, Mrs. Miacca agreed.

Tommy was relieved that he got off being eaten. He promised to be good all the time, but he couldn't be good all the time. One day he went around the corner and Mr. Miacca caught him again. He recognized Tommy and resolved not to lose him again.

Mr. Miacca told Tommy that he would watch him himself, and instructed him to get under the sofa. He sat in the sofa waiting for the pot to boil and it was taking too long. Tired of waiting, Mr. Miacca told Tommy to give him his leg and he would him from leaving. Tommy put out a leg and he cut it off and put it in the pot.

Mr. Miacca called for Mrs. Miacca in the other room and she did not answer. When Mr. Miacca went to the other room looking for Mrs. Miacca, Tommy ran away from the house. Tommy did not get a leg cut off because when Mr. Miacca asked him for his leg, he put out the sofa leg. It was the sofa's leg that got cut off. Tommy ran home and he never went around the corner until he was old enough.