Thumbelina

Long, long ago there lived a woman who wished with all her heart for a child. She wished in spring, she wished in winter, she wished in every quiet moment - yet no baby ever came. One day she went to seek advice from an old enchantress.

The wise woman handed her a tiny enchanted seed and said,

“Plant this in a flowerpot, and tend it with care.” Full of hope, the woman did exactly that. Before long, a marvelous plant grew from the soil, and when its blossom opened wide, there sat a girl no bigger than a thumb. The woman named her Thumbelina.

Thumbelina was gentle, cheerful, and as lovely as the morning dew. Her mother adored her. The little girl slept in a polished walnut shell lined with rose petals and played on a lily-pad boat that floated in a bowl of water.

But one quiet night, when everyone was fast asleep, a toad crept in through the window. Enchanted by Thumbelina’s beauty, she whispered,

“Oh! She would make the perfect wife for my son!”

And without a sound, she snatched the sleeping girl and carried her away to a wide water lily leaf on a pond.

When Thumbelina awoke and heard the old toad preparing a muddy nest beneath the water - a home she planned for Thumbelina and her lazy, gloomy son - the poor girl burst into frightened tears. She was too light and too tiny to climb off the leaf. All she could do was wait.

But the pond’s little fish had kind hearts. Hearing her cries, they gathered around the stem of the lily pad and nibbled it clean through. The leaf broke free and drifted gently away, far from the toad and her plans.

As the leaf floated across the shining water, Thumbelina sang and gazed at the world around her, happy to be free again. Suddenly a great beetle buzzed overhead. Delighted by the sight of her, he swooped down, lifted her up, and carried her to a tall tree to show her to his beetle friends.

But the other beetles only laughed. “Her legs are too small!” “She’s much too thin!” “She looks nothing like us!”

Ashamed, the beetle set her down on a flower and flew away, leaving Thumbelina all alone.

Yet she didn’t lose heart. She spent the summer living among blossoms, sipping dew, and listening to birdsong.

But summer never lasts forever. Soon autumn came, and then a freezing winter. Thumbelina grew tired and hungry until one day she found a tiny hole leading to the home of a field mouse.

The mouse let her in, warm and safe beneath the earth, and in return Thumbelina helped with chores and told her stories.

The mouse had a wealthy neighbor - a mole who disliked sunshine, flowers, and anything bright or joyful. One day she announced, “Thumbelina would make an excellent wife for Mr. Mole!”

The little girl’s heart sank. She did not want such a life, but she saw no escape. One afternoon, while walking with the mouse through the mole’s dark tunnel, Thumbelina discovered a swallow lying on the ground, wounded and close to death. Filled with pity, she visited the bird at night, warming him with her tiny hands and sharing crumbs of food. When spring arrived, the swallow regained his strength and flew away, thanking her with a grateful song.

Time passed, and at last the day of Thumbelina’s wedding to the mole arrived. Terrified at the thought of spending her life underground, she slipped up to the surface one last time to say goodbye to the sun and the flowers.

And there - fluttering down from the sky - came the swallow she had saved. “Climb onto my wings!” he called.

Without hesitation, Thumbelina did, and off they flew, far above forests and rivers, toward a warm and wondrous land.

There, beneath golden sunlight and in fields bright with blossoms, the swallow set her down on a magnificent flower. Its petals opened - and inside sat a tiny prince with glimmering, transparent wings. He was the King of the Elves.

He bowed to Thumbelina and asked her to be his queen. Overjoyed, she accepted. From that day on, she lived among the flowers, cherished and safe, and happier than she had ever dreamed.

The swallow sang his sweetest song as he said goodbye. And Thumbelina, now the Little Elf Queen, often thought about the long, brave journey that had led her to her new home - one where no one mocked her delicacy or tried to force her into a life she did not choose.

Light as a petal, she fluttered among the blossoms and lived happily ever after. And the swallow, who had cared so dearly for her, flew back to our lands to sing this tale to us - so we might remember that kindness, courage, and a gentle heart always lead the way to happiness.