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Tom Hickathrift

An English fairy tale from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Tom Hickathrift is an English folk legend first recorded in the seventeenth century. Joseph Jacobs collected it for More English Fairy Tales, published in 1894. This text reflects its era. The story celebrates courage and strength used to protect others. Tom shows that even a young person can stand up to something scary when others need help. It is a favourite tale of brave deeds and clever thinking.

Band
Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
Length
short · about 342 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
Source
More English Fairy Tales, Joseph Jacobs and John Dickson Batten
First published
see the About page in the reader
Regions
Canada · United States

Included formats

  • · Web reader and PDF
  • · EPUB for e-readers
  • · Home-print sheet
  • · Folded booklet
  • · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
  • · Worksheet
  • · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
  • · Read-aloud script
  • · Colouring page
  • · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Lesson at a glance

Reading
about 8 minutes at this band
Pause questions
5
Words to Know
4
Quick Check
6 questions, with the answer key
Let’s Talk
3 questions for afterwards
Worksheet
questions, an activity and a drawing prompt

About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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The same story

Other bands of this story

This story is ready now at the Purple band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.