Thumbelina

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The chaffinch who had stolen her knew this very well; but when he heard all the ladies saying she was ugly, he began to think so too, and would not keep her; she might go wherever she liked. So he flew down from the tree with her and put her on a daisy. There she sat and wept, because she was so ugly that the chaffinch would have nothing to do with her; and yet she was the most beautiful creature imaginable, so soft and delicate, like the loveliest rose-leaf. No!’ insisted Thumbelina. ‘It is too cold outside for you to leave. Stay here. I will look after you.’ All winter long the bird stayed in the passage. Then spring came and it flew out of the hole in the roof. asked Thumbelina to join him in the warm sun, flying around all day surrounded by flowers and other birds.

became very cold and even more alone. She could only warm herself with the dried leaves that had fallen off the trees during autumn. This is a vintage fairy tale, and may contain violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand if your child is sensitive to such themes. No, it must never be!” So they gathered together in the water, round the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood, and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth. Then the leaf floated down the stream, carrying Thumbelina far away out of reach of land.

Thumbelina didn’t care how rich and clever he was. She didn’t want to marry a mole. But when the mole came to visit, she sang so sweetly that the mole fell in love with her.

just a little bit larger than Thumbelina herself. He was alarmed at the size of the bird but once he saw Thumbelina standing next to it, he approached Thumbelina and immediately fell in So the wedding was to take place. The mole had already come to fetch Thumbelina; she was to live with him deep under the ground, and never to come out into the warm sunshine, for he did not like it. The poor little child was very sorrowful; she had now to say farewell to the beautiful sun, which at least she had been allowed by the field-mouse to see from the threshold of the door. The mole closed up the hole again which let in the light, and then escorted the ladies home. But Thumbelina could not sleep that night, so she got out of bed and plaited a great big blanket of straw and carried it off, spread it over the dead bird, and piled upon it thistledown as soft as cotton wool, which she had found in the fieldmouse’s room, so that the poor little thing should lie warmly buried.Chaika, Glenn (2002-08-06), The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina (Animation, Family, Fantasy), Hyperion Pictures, Miramax, Philippine Animation Studio Inc. , retrieved 2023-03-09 At length they reached the warm countries, where the sun shines brightly, and the sky seems so much higher above the earth. Here, on the hedges, and by the wayside, grew purple, green, and white grapes; lemons and oranges hung from trees in the woods; and the air was fragrant with myrtles and orange blossoms. Beautiful children ran along the country lanes, playing with large gay butterflies; and as the swallow flew farther and farther, every place appeared still more lovely.

Opie, Iona; Opie, Peter (1974). The Classic Fairy Tales. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211559-6. Far out in the stream grew a number of water lilies with broad green leaves which seemed to float on the top of the water. The largest of these leaves appeared farther off than the rest, and the old toad swam out to it with the walnut shell, in which Thumbelina still lay asleep. Yes, you speak like a sensible man," said the field mouse. "What has a bird, in spite of all his singing, in the wintertime? He must starve and freeze, and that must be very pleasant for him, I must say!" field mouse rounded up a group of spiders to weave the linen for Thumbelina’s wedding dress and other linens for her future life with the mole - all the while ignoring Thumbelina’s protests.Andersen, Hans Christian (2000) [1871]. The Fairy Tale of My Life. New York, NY: Cooper Square Press. ISBN 0-8154-1105-7. Dawley, Herbert M. (1924-09-27), Thumbelina (Animation, Short), Herbert M. Dawley Production , retrieved 2023-03-08 A short time before he had dug a long passage through the earth from his own house to theirs; and Thumbelina and the field-mouse had leave to walk there as much as they wished. But he begged them not to be afraid of the dead bird which was lying in the passage. It was a whole bird, with wings and a beak. It must have died only a short time before, when the winter began, and was now buried just where the mole had made his passage. Tweet, tweet!" Sounded in her ear all at once. She looked up. There was the swallow flying past! As soon as he saw Thumbelina, he was very glad. She told him how unwilling she was to marry the ugly mole, as then she had to live underground where the sun never shone, and she could not help bursting into tears. Farewell, farewell, you good, pretty girl!” said the swallow; and he flew out into the sunshine. Thumbelina looked after him, and the tears came into her eyes, for she had become so fond of the poor swallow.