Charles Dickens 
Tom Tiddler’s Ground 

It is an ancient children’s game in which one player, ’Tom Tidler, ’ stands on a heap of stones, gravel, etc.; other players rush onto the heap, crying ’Here I am on Tom Tidler’s ground, ’ while Tom tries to capture the invaders or keep them off. By extension, the phrase has come to mean the ground or tenement of a sluggard, or of one who is easily taken advantage of. The essence of the game lives on in such more modern games as Steal the Bacon and variants of Tag. Tom Tiddler’s Ground is a rollicking, irresistible tale of troubles on the Home Front. This new edition features an introduction by Stacy Marking.