TOM NOW-YOU-SEE-HIM-NOW-YOU-DON’T
It was a cold, snowy day just before the Christmas holidays, and little Tom was standing near one of the shop windows, gazing longingly in at the beautiful gay toys. He was wondering whether he would find the wonderful red sled, shining skates and bright, brisk-looking wagon under his tree on Christmas morning, or if Santa Claus would hold it against him that he had been naughty in refusing, at first, to take his cough medicine, and pass him by without leaving him any gifts at all. Of course, he had taken the medicine later, when his mother had insisted. But he had heard that Santa Claus sometimes punished children when they refused to obey promptly.
While he was pondering over this, selecting the gifts he would like best and hoping to be forgiven for his naughtiness, a huge snowball sang by his head and crashed through the great glass window. He turned quickly, in time to see his playmate, Teddy, disappear around the corner. Just then he felt strong hands grasp his coat collar roughly and heard an angry policeman exclaim, “That’s the time I caught you!”
Poor Tom! He knew that Teddy had thrown the snowball, but he didn’t want to be a tattle-tale, so he allowed himself to be hauled away to the nearest jail. He was thrust into a dark cell, not much larger than a clothes closet, where he trembled with the cold and dampness, utterly heart-broken over his sad plight. Trying to be brave, he forced back the tears, and settled down to wait until his father should come to his rescue.
Suddenly he saw a great cloud of smoke rising from one corner of his cell. It circled ’round and ’round until it disappeared into thin air, leaving behind a tiny brown elf, who stood blinking knowingly at him and nodding his head like a wise little old man. Now Tom had often heard of goblins and fairies and wished that he might know them, so he smiled at his little visitor, told him how glad he was to see him and began to relate to him the story of his misfortune. “Yes, Tom,” said the little elf, “I know all about your troubles, and because you have been a good, honest lad I am willing to grant any wish you may make.” This was jolly good luck for Tom, and he laughed to think how worried he had been a few short moments ago, and how the little brown elf had transformed all his sorrow into wonderful joy.
“O dear Mr. Fairy, what I want most of all in the world is the power to become invisible,” cried Tom. “I have always wished that I could make myself invisible whenever I wanted to do so.”
Now the little brown elf thought this a most unusual wish, but he told Tom he would grant it for one day, and instantly Tom felt a sudden gust of air and found himself entirely alone. Just then he heard the turnkey coming with his bread and water and he hurriedly wished himself invisible, and when the door was opened he walked right out of his cell between the big man’s bow legs! He chuckled in glee to himself when he saw the turnkey looking all about for him, not being able to find him anywhere, and then he set about finding his way to the street.
On his way home Tom passed a lake that the frost had converted into a solid sheet of gleaming ice, where all the boys and girls were skating. He spied a pair of skates lying on the bank, and quick as a thought, he had them on his feet and had darted off across the ice. There were loud shouts of surprise from everyone, and he saw all the boys and girls looking after him in amazement. Of course, all they could see was the skates, which they thought must have been bewitched to go skating off by themselves. A dozen boys set out in pursuit of them, and Tom quite enjoyed the sport of eluding them. Teddy, who was in the crowd, almost caught up with him, but, hearing a voice that seemed to come from the skates themselves, saying, “You know you broke the window!” he became so frightened that he stumbled and fell, slithered over the thin ice around a “Danger” sign, broke through and plunged headlong into the cold water.
All They Could See Was the Skates
Before the other boys and girls could reach him, Invisible Tom had pulled him out. When Teddy felt hands helping him out but could see no one, he cried aloud in fear, but Tom just chuckled to himself and glided off, quite satisfied with his first adventure. By this time he was tired of skating, so, leaving the skates where he had found them, he went merrily and invisibly on his way.
A poor little homeless dog whose leg had been injured by a passing truck was limping painfully along ahead of Tom, and at last tumbled into a pathetic little heap, unable to drag himself further. A rough boy, whom Tom did not know, came by just at that moment and began tormenting the poor little animal. ’Twas then Tom thought he could have some fun by befriending the dog and playing a trick on the boy. So he dashed over, picked the dog up in his invisible arms, and carried him safely down the street. When he looked back and saw the boy standing with his mouth wide open in amazement at seeing a dog floating away in the air, he laughed aloud. This was indeed great fun! Tom went out of his way to pass the Dog Hospital, where he dropped his little charge carefully in through an open window just high enough from the ground for him to reach.
Then Tom went on his invisible way. Soon he arrived in front of Betty Brown’s house, where he heard sounds of laughter and music, reminding him that she was giving a party and that he had been invited. He looked down at himself. He had on his oldest suit, and he knew he hadn’t time to go home to dress, so he decided to attend the party as Invisible Tom. The guests were just eating ice cream and cake as Tom entered and he watched until he saw the maid put down a big plate of chocolate ice cream in front of Billy Bon. Before Billy had a chance to notice it, Tom reached out and snatched the dish, vanishing with it behind the piano. Betty’s mother, the hostess, was surprised to find that Billy had no ice cream, and brought him another plate, but Tom had eaten the first one quickly, and was already standing invisible beside Billy’s chair, waiting to play the trick again. This practical joke was repeated several times, and poor Billy might have gone ice cream-less if Tom had not reached the very limit of his capacity at last.
During the games which followed refreshments, Tom played many pranks on his little friends and then, politely saying good-bye to Betty, who started at hearing a voice when she couldn’t see anyone near, he skipped out the door.
As it was now getting late, Tom knew he had better hurry on home. He had enjoyed being invisible so much that he decided to remain that way as a surprise for his Mother and Daddy. Upon reaching the house he saw an enormous airplane, which had landed in a field near his home and which was about to take flight. Tom saw that it was piloted by a famous aviator of whom he had often heard his father talk, and he could not resist the temptation of climbing invisibly in beside him. Instantly there was a great roar, and they were off up into the clouds, with Tom leaning over the side of the plane to see the cities below, which looked very tiny and very far away. This was the greatest experience that Tom had ever had, and in his excitement he forgot that the aviator couldn’t see him, and shouted in his ear, “Let’s go call on the Man in the Moon!” This startled the aviator so that he lost control of the plane, which shot toward earth, twisting and turning in its terrible fall.
Over and over it went, with Tom clinging to his seat with all his might, when all of a sudden he lost his grip, and the next thing he knew he had landed flop! in the middle of a big, soft snowbank. A kindly old farmer who was traveling along on the road nearby, hurried to him, picked him up and offered to take him home in his mulecart.
“O what a day!” thought Tom, and in his heart he thanked the little elf for all his thrilling adventures.