Thumbelina | by Hans Christian Andersen

Once upon a time, there was a woman who was sad because she had no children. Seeing her unhappiness, a neighbor gave her a magical seed. The neighbor told the woman to plant the seed in a flower pot. That evening, the woman planted the seed. The next morning, she noticed that a plant had grown in the pot overnight. The plant had a flower like a tulip, but it was closed up tightly into a bud. What a beautiful plant, said the woman, and she kissed the flower. When she did, the petals opened wide. There, in the middle of the flower, sat a tiny girl no bigger than a thumb. I will call you Thumbelina, said the woman. Thumbelina lived a happy life with the woman. At night, she slept in a polished walnut shell. During the day, she sailed about in a saucer of water with a tulip leaf as her boat. Then, one night, everything changed. A mother toad hopped through a broken window into the house. She landed right beside the sleeping Thumbelina. What a beautiful wife she would make for my toad son, exclaimed the mother. So she picked up the sleeping Thumbelina and carried her into the garden. There, she told her son of her plans. While we prepare for the wedding, we will place her on a water lily leaf in the river. That way, she cannot escape, said the mother. When Thumbelina awoke the next morning, she realized that she was no longer in her cozy bed. She began to cry. The mother toad and her son ignored her tears and continued with their plans. But Thumbelina's cries had not gone unheard. The little fish in the river felt sorry for her. They nibbled at the lily pad's stem until the leaf broke free from its roots. The leaf floated down the river, carrying Thumbelina with it. Thumbelina floated along. It was summertime. She ate wild berries for food, she listened to the birds chirping, and she admired the butterflies. Before long, though, summer came to an end. The weather grew colder and soon there were no more berries for food. The birds and butterflies disappeared. One day, as snow began to fall, Thumbelina curled up under a mushroom. Not far away, a field mouse was gathering wood for her fireplace. When she saw Thumbelina, she said, My poor dear, you must come home with me. Thumbelina gratefully accepted the field mouse's invitation. She spent the rest of the winter in the mouse's snug burrow. Every day, Thumbelina helped the field mouse with her housework. When they were done, they sat and chatted before the fire. They became friends. Now, the field mouse had a wealthy or rich neighbor called Mr. Mole. Mr. Mole became a regular visitor at the field mouse's home. One evening, Mr. Mole invited Thumbelina and the field mouse to come to his house. They accepted the invitation and followed him down a hole and into an underground passageway. As they moved along the passageway, they passed an injured bird lying perfectly still. Pay no attention, said Mr. Mole. This wallow has a broken wing. Somehow he found his way into my passageway. Nothing can be done to help him. With that, the mole and field mouse hurried on. But Thumbelina did not. She was worried about the hurt bird. So she stayed and stroked the bird's feathers. Suddenly, the bird moved. Thumbelina promised the bird that she would return with food. And for the rest of the winter, that is what she did. When spring arrived, the swallow felt well enough to fly away. He asked Thumbelina to come with him, but she said no. She could not leave her friend the field mouse. The spring and summer months passed. It had become clear that Mr. Mole wanted to marry Thumbelina. Thumbelina did not care for Mr. Mole at all. But her friend the field mouse was in favor of the marriage. Together, Mr. Mole and the field mouse made plans for the wedding. One day, as Thumbelina sat quietly weeping in the autumn sunshine, a dark shadow appeared. It was the swallow. Thumbelina, said the swallow. I am flying south to warmer places. Come with me. This time, Thumbelina agreed. She climbed upon the swallow's back and off they went. They flew for many days. Finally, the swallow landed in a lovely little spot filled with flowers. Thumbelina looked at the flower next to her. She watched the petals slowly open. There, in the middle of the flower, sat a little man with a golden crown. He was the same tiny size as Thumbelina. Thumbelina watched in amazement as all of the other flowers opened. Each flower had its own tiny person inside. The little man with the crown said, Welcome, Thumbelina. You have found a new home at last. Here, you shall be my queen. He placed a tiny golden crown on Thumbelina's head. He fastened a pair of pale wings to her shoulders. And so Thumbelina and the king got married and lived happily ever after in the land of the flowers and the fairies. The end.