Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen
Section [1 | 2]
Thumbelina

by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H .P .Paull (1872)

there_was once a woman who wished very_much to_have a little child, but she_could_not obtain her wish . at last she went to a fairy, and said, " i_should so very_much like to_have a little child; can_you tell me where I_can find one ? "

"Oh, that_can_be easily managed," said the fairy ." here_is abarleycorn of a different kind to_those which grow in_the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower- pot, and_see what_will happen ."

" thank_you," said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which_was the price of_the barleycorn . then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as_if it were still a bud ." it_is a beautiful flower," said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden- colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she_could see that_it_was a real tulip . within_the flower, upon_the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden . she was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and_they gave her the name of "Thumbelina," or tiny, because she was so small .a walnut- shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle; her bed was formed of blue violet-leaves, with a rose- leaf for a counterpane . here she slept at night, but during the day she amused herself on a table, where the woman had placed aplateful of water . round this plate were wreaths of flowers with their stems in_the water, and upon it floated a large tulip- leaf, which served tiny for a boat . here the little maiden sat and rowed herself from side to side, with two oars made of white horse- hair . it really was a very pretty sight . tiny could, also, sing so softly and sweetly that nothing like her singing had ever before been heard . one night, while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in_the window, and leaped right upon_the table where tiny lay sleeping under her rose- leaf quilt ." what a pretty little wife this_would make for_my son, said the toad, and she took up the walnut- shell in_which little tiny lay asleep, and jumped through_the window with it into_the garden .

in_the swampy margin of a broad stream in_the garden lived the toad, with her son . he_was uglier even than his mother, and when he_saw the pretty little maiden in her elegant bed, he_could only cry, " croak, croak, croak ."

"Don't speak so loud, or she will wake," said the toad, " and then she might run away, for she_is as light as swan's down . we_will place her on one_of_the water- lily leaves out in_the stream; it_will_be like an island to her, she_is so light and small, and then she_cannot escape; and, while she_is away, we_will make haste and prepare the state- room under the marsh, in_which_you_are to live when_you_are married ."

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 little tiny lay still asleep . the tiny little creature woke very early in_the morning, and began to cry bitterly when she found where she was, for she_could see nothing but water on every side of_the large green leaf, and no way of reaching the land . meanwhile the old toad was very busy under the marsh, decking her room with rushes and wild yellow flowers, to_make it look pretty for her new daughter-in-law . then she swam out with her ugly son to_the leaf on_which she had placed poor little tiny . she wanted to fetch the pretty bed, that she might put it in_the bridal chamber to_be ready for her . the old toad bowed low to her in_the water, and said, " here_is my son, he_will_be your husband, and you_will live happily in_the marsh by_the stream ."

" croak, croak, croak," was all her son could_say for himself; so the toad took up the elegant little bed, and swam away with it, leaving tiny all alone on_the green leaf, where she sat and wept . she_could_not bear to_think of living with_the old toad, and having her ugly son for a husband . the little fishes, who swam about in_the water beneath, had seen the toad, and heard what she said, so they lifted their heads above the water to look at_the little maiden . as_soon_as they caught sight of her, they saw she was very pretty, and it made them very sorry to_think that she_must go and live with_the ugly toads ." no, it must never be ! " so they assembled 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 tiny far away out of reach of land .

tiny sailed past many towns, and_the little birds in_the bushes saw her, and sang, " what a lovely little creature;" so the leaf swam away with her farther and farther, till it brought her to other lands .a graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her, and at last alighted on_the leaf . tiny pleased him, and she was glad of it, for now the toad could_not possibly reach her, and_the country through which she sailed was beautiful, and_the sun shone upon_the water, till it glittered like liquid gold . she took off her girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and_the other end of_the ribbon she fastened to_the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little tiny with it as she stood . presently a large cockchafer flew by; the moment he caught sight of her, he seized her round her delicate waist with_his claws, and flew with her into a tree . the green leaf floated away on_the brook, and_the butterfly flew with it, for he_was fastened to_it, and could_not get away .

Oh, how frightened little tiny felt when_the cockchafer flew with her to_the tree ! but especially was she sorry for_the beautiful white butterfly which she had fastened to_the leaf, for if he_could_not free himself he_would die of hunger . but the cockchafer did_not trouble himself at all about_the_matter . he seated himself by her side on a large green leaf, gave her some honey from_the flowers to eat, and told her she was very pretty, though not in_the least like acockchafer . after a time, all the cockchafers turned up their feelers, and said, " she has only two legs ! how ugly that looks ." " she has no feelers," said another ." her waist is quite slim .Pooh ! she_is like a human being ."

"Oh ! she_is ugly," said all the lady cockchafers, although tiny was very pretty . then the cockchafer who had run away with her, believed all the others when_they said she was ugly, and would_have nothing more to_say to her, and told her she might go where she liked . then he flew down with her from_the tree, and placed her on a daisy, and she wept at_the thought that she was so ugly that even the cockchafers would_have nothing to_say to her . and all the while she was really the loveliest creature that one could imagine, and as tender and delicate as a beautiful rose- leaf . during the whole summer poor little tiny lived quite alone in_the wide forest . she wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it up under a broad leaf, to protect herself from_the rain . she sucked the honey from_the flowers for food, and drank the dew from their leaves every morning . so passed away the summer and_the autumn, and then came the winter,- the long, cold winter . all the birds who had sung to her so sweetly were flown away, and_the trees and_the flowers had withered . the large clover leaf under the shelter of_which she had lived, was now rolled together and shrivelled up, nothing remained but a yellow withered stalk . she felt dreadfully cold, for her clothes were torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate, that poor little tiny was nearly frozen to death . it began to snow too; and_the snow-flakes, as_they fell upon her, were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, for we_are tall, but she was only an inch high . then she wrapped herself up in a dry leaf, but it cracked in_the middle and could_not keep her warm, and she shivered with cold . near the wood in_which she had_been living lay a corn- field, but the corn had_been cut a long_time; nothing remained but the bare dry stubble standing up out_of_the frozen ground . it_was to her like struggling through a large wood .Oh ! how she shivered with_the cold . she came at last to_the door of a field- mouse, who had a little den under the corn- stubble . there dwelt the field- mouse in warmth and comfort, with a whole roomful of corn, a kitchen, and a beautiful dining room . poor little tiny stood before_the door just like a little beggar- girl, and begged for a small piece of barley- corn, for she had_been without a morsel to eat for two days .

" you poor little creature," said the field- mouse, who was really a good old field- mouse, " come into my warm room and dine with me ." she was very pleased with tiny, so she said, " you_are quite welcome to stay with me all the winter, if_you like; but you_must keep my rooms clean and neat, and tell me stories, for I_shall like to hear them very_much ." and tiny did all the field- mouse asked her, and found herself very comfortable .

" we_shall_have a visitor soon," said the field- mouse one day; " my neighbor pays me a visit once a week . he_is better off than I_am; he has large rooms, and wears a beautiful black velvet coat . if_you_could only have him for a husband, you_would_be well provided for indeed . but he_is blind, so you_must tell him some of your prettiest stories .

but tiny did_not feel at all interested about_this neighbor, for he_was a mole . however, he_came and paid his visit dressed in_his black velvet coat .

" he_is very rich and learned, and_his house is twenty times larger than mine," said the field- mouse .

he_was rich and learned, no_doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of_the sun and_the pretty flowers, because he had never seen them . tiny was obliged to sing to him, " lady- bird, lady- bird, fly away home," and many_other pretty songs . and_the mole fell in love with her because she had such a sweet voice; but he_said nothing yet, for he_was very cautious .a short time before, the mole had dug a long passage under the earth, which led from_the dwelling of_the field- mouse to_his own, and here she had permission to walk with tiny whenever she liked . but he warned them not to_be alarmed at_the sight of a dead bird which lay in_the passage . it_was a perfect bird, with a beak and feathers, and could_not have_been dead long, and was lying just where the mole had made his passage . the mole took a piece of phosphorescent wood in_his mouth, and it glittered like fire in_the dark; then he went before them to light them through_the long, dark passage . when_they came to_the spot where lay the dead bird, the mole pushed his broad nose through_the ceiling, the earth gave way, so_that there_was a large hole, and_the daylight shone into_the passage . in_the middle of_the floor lay a dead swallow, his beautiful wings pulled close to_his sides, his feet and_his head drawn up under his feathers; the poor bird had evidently died of_the cold . it made little tiny very sad to_see it, she did so love the little birds; all the summer they had sung and twittered for her so beautifully . but the mole pushed it aside with_his crooked legs, and said, " he_will sing no more now . how miserable it must_be to_be born a little bird ! I_am thankful that none of_my children will ever be birds, for they_can do nothing but cry, 'Tweet, tweet,' and always die of hunger in_the winter ."

" yes, you_may well say that, as a clever man ! " exclaimed the field- mouse, " what_is the use of_his twittering, for when winter comes he_must either starve or be frozen to death .

Section [1 | 2]