Tom and Jerry Meet Mr. Fingers

Tom and Jerry Meet Mr. Fingers is a pocket-sized original novel of the Tom and Jerry series written by Carl Fallberg. It was released in 1967 by Whitman Big Little Book.

Back cover blurb

• Military jets sabotaged! Rails bent! Freeway mysteriously torn up! WHO or WHAT was behind these acts?

Characters

• Tom
• Jerry
• Agent Six and Seven-Eighths
• Television announcer
• Mr. Fingers
• Slurk
• Chief McMinion
• Tramp
• Cops
  • McKimson
  • Connell
  • Craig

Chapters

1. Enter F.E.L.I.N.E.

Tom and Jerry watch Secret Agent 6 7/8, the Nemesis of the Underworld, which is their favorite television program. During the show, Agent Six and Seven-Eighths, dealing with crooks, is thrown out of a plane at fifty thousand feet. Tom reassures Jerry that Agent Six and Seven-Eighths will "get out of this mess like he always does." When all looks hopeless, the agent swoops upward with the help of trick shoes that contain jets in the heels. With his lung capacity, he does not have to worry about a lack of oxygen. He re-enters the plane and subdues the crooks.

Tom and Jerry cheer Agent Six and Seven-Eighths' victory. Tom then says he would like to be a secret agent, much to Jerry's amusement. A commercial comes on for Bombsie Wombsies, a cereal described to be the favorite food of Agent Six and Seven-Eighths. Tom, who was about to sleep through the commercial, hears that each package contains an Instant Trench Coat like that of Agent Six and Seven-Eighths, which grows with water. Tom heads to the kitchen to get a package of Bombsie Wombsies to prepare the trench coat.

The program is then interrupted by a news bulletin about ten new military jets being sabotaged, their wings easily crushed. The announcer suspects that it is the work of a foreign agent, as a similar incident occurred at a freeway section the previous week, but otherwise has no clue of the culprit.

Tom then announces his involvement as F.E.L.I.N.E. (Fearless Enforcer of the Law with Indomitable and Never-Ending Energy) and puts on his new trench coat. He makes Jerry his assistant. The duo try to figure out the culprit's next target. Jerry suggests the railroad after hearing a distant locomotive whistle, to which Tom agrees and takes credit for. Tom declares that "no saboteur is going to get away with anything when F.E.L.I.N.E. is on the job."

2. Runaway Tire

Tom and Jerry drive to the railroad, with Tom imagining himself becoming a hero. Tom's car then blows a tire. When Tom injures his foot whilst getting out a spare tire, the tire rolls down the hill and toward a dammed-up reservoir. As Tom and Jerry follow the tire, they witness it hitting an old man into the water. After getting pulled out of the water, the man merely mutters something and walks away to the other side of the dam.

Jerry then finds a watch the old man had left, one with "complicated-looking dials", and shows it to Tom. Tom tries in vain to alert the man, who reaches a small sports car and drives away. As Tom recovers their tire, Jerry observes how peculiar it is that the old man would have such a car. Tom changes the tire and gets ready to follow the man to return his watch.

3. Mr. Fingers' Secret

Tom and Jerry arrive at a mansion high on a hill. Tom rings the bell at the gate, but gets no response. Jerry manages to get through the gate and unlock it from the inside, allowing the duo to reach the front door. When Tom is about to ring the doorbell, a tall man opens the door and pulls Tom inside.

Jerry, left behind, finds an open window high on the side of the house and climbs up to it. Through the window, he sees a large room with a desk at one side; sitting behind the desk is the old man. The man takes off his hat and beard, revealing himself as someone else. The butler arrives and brings Tom to the front of the desk. The man recognizes Tom from the dam. When Tom announces that he came to return the watch, the man asks how he got through the locked gate; Tom, not wanting to give Jerry away, refuses to answer.

The man introduces himself as Mr. Fingers. He then takes a steel ball bearing on his desk and flattens it with his fingers, "as though it were made of clay." Tom becomes nervous over who he is dealing with, while Mr. Fingers instructs his butler, Slurk, to lock Tom up for knowing his secret. Slurk places Tom inside a dungeon-like room. Tom has second thoughts about being a secret agent, unable to figure out what Agent Six and Seven-Eighths would do in such a situation.

Jerry sneaks through the window, gets past Mr. Fingers, and follows Tom and Slurk to the dungeon. Jerry sees Slurk put the key to the dungeon in his pocket. After Slurk falls asleep, Jerry gets the key out of his pocket. Due to his short height, Jerry relies on a chair that he manages to push toward the door to reach the lock and free Tom. Tom is delighted, and the duo look for a way out of the mansion. They soon hear the voices of Mr. Fingers and Slurk, compelling the cat and mouse to hide behind a suit of armor. Mr. Fingers announces that he is leaving for a job to do and instructs Slurk to "take special care" of Tom.

Tom and Jerry wait until Slurk goes back to sleep, then leave the mansion and return to Tom's car, planning to inform the police about Mr. Fingers. They suspect that Mr. Fingers is responsible for the incidents of sabotage, knowing that the strength of his fingers could allow him to break airplane wings and rip up freeways. They park at the police station to locate Chief McMinion.

4. A Persistent Cat

Tom and Jerry head into Chief McMinion's office, where Tom introduces himself as F.E.L.I.N.E. and explains his theory about the sabotage incidents. The chief eventually becomes impatient with Tom's theory, stating that Mr. Fingers is known as J. Hamhock Hamstrung, a respected citizen who has daffodils planted around the city reservoir each year. He tells Tom to leave.

Not deterred by the chief's skepticism, Tom vows to return to Mr. Fingers' mansion to find out more about him. Jerry, on the other hand, suspects the chief may be right that they are pursuing the wrong man. Tom says that secret agents do not give up easily. Jerry reluctantly accompanies him to keep him out of trouble.

5. Jerry To The Rescue

Tom and Jerry return to Mr. Fingers' mansion, where they park the car out of sight before sneaking into the yard. While figuring a way into the building, Tom trips over a wire, activating an alarm system. Slurk goes outside to look for intruders. Jerry tries in vain to get Tom, who is knocked out, to safety; Slurk soon spots them. With Slurk coming closer and aiming his gun, Jerry gets a garden hose and sprays the butler in the face, making him fall. Tom groggily gets up and runs to the house, despite Jerry pleading for him to run for the gate.

Slurk captures Tom and tries to get Jerry, who manages to escape into bushes. Jerry watches as Slurk takes Tom into the house. He wonders how he will free Tom this time, as Slurk is sure to be more mindful of the key. He goes to the window he used before and finds it locked, along with all other windows. Since Chief McMinion did not believe Tom's account, there was no point in getting the police. Jerry ultimately tries the front door, using a long stick to ring the doorbell. Slurk opens the door, and Jerry dashes inside once it is open wide enough, hiding behind a chair leg.

As Jerry plans to return to the dungeon, Mr. Fingers opens the door. Slurk asks if he had rung the doorbell; Mr. Fingers reminds him that he has his own key. Mr. Fingers returns to his desk, squeezing more ball bearings as he mentions that he has gotten rails at railroad yards bent. When Slurk inquires about the next target, Mr. Fingers considers visiting the dam next. Jerry, overhearing this, is able to confirm that Mr. Fingers is the saboteur. After Mr. Fingers announces that he will take a nap, he and Slurk leave the room. Jerry takes the opportunity to go to the dungeon to rescue Tom again.

6. The Saboteur's Schedule

Realizing that the rescue mission will be harder than before, Jerry first tries to contact Tom. Jerry hears Tom snoring inside. Jerry knocks on the door; to his luck, it opens up, as Slurk forgot to lock it. Jerry wakes up Tom, who wonders where he is. Jerry tells Tom to pull himself together and leave the dungeon. When Tom is able to, he and Jerry get back upstairs, sneaking out the front door from a sleeping Slurk.

Before the duo go through the door, Jerry remembers a schedule of sabotage that Slurk had mentioned. He goes to Mr. Fingers' desk and eventually finds a list among the papers. The list includes "jet planes", "freeway", and "railroad yards", all followed by a check, as well as "railroad bridge" and "dam", both unchecked, and thus not yet sabotaged. Jerry worries about Slurk waking up, with Tom noticing the butler is deep asleep. The duo notice a timetable for the places Mr. Fingers plans to strike. Jerry thinks that will convince Chief McMinion to take them seriously.

As Tom and Jerry are about to exit, Tom trips over his trench coat and ends up on Slurk's lap, waking him up. Slurk, in an attempt to grab Tom, crashes into a suit of armor, leaving a mess. Tom and Jerry return to the car when Tom realizes he is missing the paper with the sabotage schedule. Since it is too late to return to the mansion and retrieve the paper without getting caught again, Tom and Jerry agree that they should first leave. Tom wants to tell the chief about their finding, despite Jerry's skepticism that it will be convincing enough.

Slurk is clearing the armor away from his body when Mr. Fingers returns, angered at being woken up. After Slurk reluctantly states that Tom has escaped, Mr. Fingers paces around the room, deep in thought. He figures Tom, as a secret agent, is smarter than he had thought. He declares that the first thing to do is to eliminate Tom. When asked by Slurk how he will do that, Mr. Fingers shows Tom's registration paper, with his name and address, that was left in the bushes.

Slurk is to tell Tom on the following day about important information, to meet him the day after at the old railroad bridge on the north side of town at nine in the morning. Mr. Fingers declares that nothing must go wrong, that he does not want Tom to interfere with his plans. He vows to flatten Tom like a ball bearing should the cat get in the way. Slurk vows to not let Tom bother Mr. Fingers again.

7. A Sticky Situation

Back at their home, Tom and Jerry discuss the day's events and argue over whether they should tell Chief McMinion about their recent discoveries. They see the chief, who is furious to have the duo in his office again, but nevertheless willing to hear what they have to say. Tom describes Mr. Fingers' plans to sabotage the city and the list of targets. Jerry states that Mr. Fingers will do so with his bare hands. The enraged chief, thinking they have been watching too many shows on television, yells at them to get out.

After they leave the police station, Tom and Jerry, determined to stop Mr. Fingers, wonder what to do next. Tom keeps reminding Jerry that he is F.E.L.I.N.E., with Jerry well aware. Realizing that Mr. Fingers may go on to destroy the whole country with his scheme, and with time running short, they are not sure how to deal with someone so clever. Jerry has a feeling Mr. Fingers will stop at nothing to get to Tom.

The duo are walking along the street when Jerry gets his foot stuck in bubblegum discarded on the sidewalk. After Tom helps him out of the gum, Jerry gets an idea. Realizing how sticky gum can be, he figures it may be the way to thwart Mr. Fingers. In order to get Mr. Fingers exposed to gum, Tom thinks about luring him into a trap.

8. A Plot Is Hatched

Tom and Jerry return home, with Tom pacing around for hours to think of how to set a trap for Mr. Fingers. He eventually announces a plan: to send Mr. Fingers a note about a boxcar containing top secret supplies parked on a railroad siding. With the police waiting at the boxcar, they will catch him in the act. Tom writes a note:

A box with top secret instruments will be in a boxcar parked on a railroad siding at Western Junction tomorrow. A Friend

After Tom places the note in an envelope and seals it, he tries to reassure Jerry that he will think of another plan in case this one does not work. He then gets a wooden box, labels it "TOP SECRET MATERIAL - HANDS OFF!", and loads it with junk. The duo bring the box to Western Junction and place it in an empty boxcar on the siding. Tom then mails the note to Mr. Fingers and proceeds to inform Chief McMinion of the plan, with Jerry hoping the chief will not throw them out again.

Chief McMinion reluctantly listens to Tom's plan. After a few minutes of deep thought, he announces that he will go with the plan, threatening to put Tom in jail if the Mr. Fingers' scheme does not occur. The chief states that he will stake out his men around the boxcar after Mr. Fingers gets the note. As Tom reassures him, the chief demands that the duo leave as he gets ready for planning. They comply, grateful that the chief is finally siding with them.

Tom announces that he and Jerry will go home and wait the next morning to find Mr. Fingers at the railroad yards. Tom is sure that it will go as planned.

9. F.E.L.I.N.E. Fiasco

The next day, Tom and Jerry are determined to get Mr. Fingers, even with the potential for rain. They arrive at the railroad yards that morning, with Chief McMinion already waiting there. As Tom assures the chief that Mr. Fingers will appear, the trio encounter a thunderstorm. Becoming drenched, and with Mr. Fingers not yet showing up, the chief, complaining about catching cold, states that they are going back.

Tom then notices someone going into the boxcar. The trio confront the figure, with Chief McMinion threatening to shoot. The figure says he is merely a tramp, seeking shelter from the rain. Tom figures the tramp is not Mr. Fingers, with the cold-ridden chief announcing that he will put Tom in jail. As the chief sneezes, Tom and Jerry make their escape. They go back home and try to figure out a way to stop Mr. Fingers without the police.

As they reach their home, they encounter Slurk in front of the door. Slurk claims that he wants to be their friend, and that he is no longer allied with Mr. Fingers. When Tom inquires about his motives, Slurk tells them that he knows of a way to trap Mr. Fingers, which he will tell them at the old railroad trestle at Gloomy Gulch, which is north of town, at nine o'clock the following morning.

After Slurk leaves, Tom and Jerry discuss whether or not he is honest about trying to stop Mr. Fingers. Tom is nevertheless willing to take the chance, with Jerry joining him. Tom states that he feels he is doing the right thing.

10. Trestle Trouble

Tom and Jerry set out early the next morning to see Slurk. Jerry, still skeptical about the meeting, wonders if they should at least inform Chief McMinion about the situation. Tom believes the chief is still mad at them for what happened the previous day. Jerry nevertheless insists on doing so, and Tom reluctantly complies. The duo stop at a phone booth to call the chief. As Tom had predicted, the chief reacts with rage. They continue their way to Slurk.

At the Gloomy Gulch trestle, Tom entertains second thoughts about arriving due to how dark and forbidding it looks. He and Jerry reach the bottom of the gulch, where the only sound is the creaking of the trestle timbers in the wind. The duo find the place too scary, and are about to leave when Slurk finally appears.

Slurk tells them that he will let his master explain the information he has to share. He is also carrying a rope. When Mr. Fingers arrives, Tom and Jerry realize they have ended up in a trap. Slurk ties Tom to a trestle girder while Jerry escapes. Mr. Fingers tells Tom that he will demonstrate the power of his fingers. He begins to bend a girder, stating that the entire trestle will soon crash down on the cat. Jerry frees Tom by secretly loosening the rope as the trestle begins to fall apart.

Tom manages to escape with Jerry, while Mr. Fingers and Slurk run away without seeing the fate of the cat and mouse. The trestle soon crashes to the ground. Slurk then remembers the cat has a small friend, while Mr. Fingers believes both have been finished off by the crash, then gloats about continuing his sabotage, heading for the dam.

Tom and Jerry leave the area, unable to remember the next target for sabotage. Jerry announces that he can sneak into Mr. Fingers' house to check the list again. As they return to the mansion, they find Mr. Fingers and Slurk already back. Jerry manages to eavesdrop on the next plan: the dam above the city is set to be sabotaged at five o'clock, then the evil duo will move on to a new location. Jerry realizes that destroying the dam would result in a large portion of the city being flooded.

While watching Mr. Fingers squeezing ball bearings, Jerry gets an idea, which he relays to Tom. Recalling the bubblegum he recently stepped in, Jerry proposes that it be used against Mr. Fingers' hands. Back home, Jerry further explains his plan: to get enough bubblegum chewed to combine into a football-sized ball. Once Mr. Fingers is ensnared, Tom is to get hold of Chief McMinion while Jerry heads to the dam. When Tom refuses to see the chief and risk getting put in jail, Jerry explains that Tom is to get the chief mad enough to chase after him, resulting in the police catching Mr. Fingers in the act. Tom reluctantly goes along with the plan.

11. Daffodil Diversion

After buying a large quantity of bubblegum, Tom and Jerry persistently chew on it all until they have a football-sized mass; both have sore jaws as a result. Tom uses greased rubber gloves to mold the gum into shape without it sticking to him. Jerry plans to wrap it in wax paper to carry it. The duo go over their plan to make sure it goes smoothly. Tom will get Chief McMinion mad enough to chase him to the dam, with Jerry giving Mr. Fingers the gum by the time Tom arrives. Jerry gets the gum wrapped and manages to carry it. The duo wish each other good luck as they go their separate ways.

Jerry arrives at the dam and hides behind bushes to wait. A car arrives with Mr. Fingers in his old man disguise, earlier than Jerry had expected. Jerry is further surprised when Mr. Fingers goes up the bank on the edge of the reservoir to water the daffodils there. Jerry recalls what Chief McMinion said about Mr. Fingers, as J. Hamhock Hamstrung, donating daffodils that would be planted around the reservoir, hence Mr. Fingers' early arrival. Jerry hopes the event will result in enough time for Tom and the chief to show up.

After watering the daffodils, Mr. Fingers walks across the dam. Instead of sabotaging it, he reaches the other side of the dam and approaches Jerry's hiding place. He waters the daffodils around there, resulting in Jerry getting drenched and sneezing. Mr. Fingers looks around the bush for the source of the sound. Due to the thickness of the bush, he ends up not detecting Jerry or the gum football. He resumes watering, much to Jerry's relief.

When Jerry hears footsteps, he peeks out of the bush to find Slurk walking across the dam. Slurk reminds Mr. Fingers about the time to destroy the dam, with Mr. Fingers insisting on watering the daffodils first. Jerry is thankful for the turn of events, as it will give more time for Tom's part of the plan. Despite that, he remains nervous.

Tom arrives at Chief McMinion's office. The angry chief suspects Tom has another tall tale to tell him. Tom claims he merely wants to visit. He looks at the clock and sees it is fifteen minutes before Mr. Fingers plans to destroy the dam, realizing he should stall for a few minutes. He eventually tells the chief of Mr. Fingers' current plan, throwing in the alias of J. Hamhock Hamstrung, and invites him to the dam to see.

When the chief announces that he will have Tom locked up, Tom teases him into chasing him. The chief calls upon three officers- McKimson, Connell, and Craig- to catch Tom. Tom leaves the office and jumps into his car, despite the chief threatening to shoot. The police head into their own car and pursue Tom's car. Tom, knowing the police car is faster than his old jalopy, merely hopes he had enough of a head start to reach the dam.

12. A Messy Missile

After finally completing his task of watering the daffodils, Mr. Fingers prepares to carry out his sabotage plans on the dam. He goes to the center of the dam and begins to take it apart. He states that he only needs to get the water to flow over the dam.

An anxious Jerry wonders why Tom has not yet arrived, afraid the cat may have ended up in jail. The sound of a siren then shows up, alerting Mr. Fingers. Slurk claims it is probably just the police going after a speeder. As the sound of the siren becomes louder, Jerry becomes assured that Tom and the police will arrive soon.

Mr. Fingers works faster as Tom and the police eventually stop. Jerry takes the opportunity to throw the bubblegum football to Mr. Fingers, who catches the object and instantly becomes trapped in gum. He ends up in a sticky mess that overcomes even his powerful fingers. Tom leads Chief McMinion to Mr. Fingers, with Jerry testifying to what was happening.

Chief McMinion is initially too stunned to react; when he sees Slurk trying to escape, he calls for the butler's apprehension. Slurk blames Mr. Fingers for everything. Mr. Fingers eventually confesses, then requests that his daffodils remain in care. The chief grants the request, then apologizes to Tom and Jerry for not believing them earlier. Tom accepts the apology, noting that "we all make mistakes!"

13. A New Start

With the case of the mysterious saboteur solved, Tom and Jerry become heroes of the hour. Their names appear on papers covering the story, and they are invited to the mayor's office for commendation. A modest Jerry gives Tom, or F.E.L.I.N.E., all the credit. The mayor prepares to give Tom a medal.

Tom then blinks and wakes up in his chair at home, realizing his adventure in capturing Mr. Fingers was just a dream, albeit one he would never forget. The commercial for Bombsie Wombsies is concluding, with Jerry laughing at how Tom fell asleep and snored during the commercial. Tom tells Jerry that he had a dream where he was a secret agent who solved a major crime. Jerry tells Tom about the Bombsie Wombsies cereal including an Instant Trench Coat, which is made after adding water. Tom likes the idea, wanting to at least pretend to be a secret agent.

Jerry prepares the Bombsie Wombsies and Instant Trench Coat, which results in a mouse-sized trench coat. Jerry is delighted at getting to pretend to be a secret agent. Wearing the new trench coat, Jerry watches the conclusion of the episode of Secret Agent 6 7/8, the Nemesis of the Underworld. Tom is slightly envious of Jerry, who now gets his turn at an adventure.

Notes

• Whitman released a 99-piece jigsaw puzzle based on the illustration on page 121 of the book.

Editions

• 1967 Hard cover - Orange cover #2006 - Color illustrations
• 1980 Paperback - Green cover #5752-1 - B&W illustrations

Gallery - 1967 orange cover

Gallery - 1980 green cover

See also

• Tom and Jerry Meet Mr. Fingers (Chinese edition)