原版英文童话故事6.Thumbelina

Thumbelina

Once upon a time, there lived a lonely oldwoman who longed for a daughter. Theyears had gone by and her dream had nevercome true.

One day, sad and desperate, she decided tovisit a good witch. The witch took pity onher and gave her a tiny seed. “Plant this in aflower-pot and you will have your wish.”

The woman did as she was told, and after one week, a beautiful flower grew. In the centre of the flower was a tiny child with golden hair.

The old lady was delighted andpicked the little girl up and gaveher a tiny hug. “I will call you

Thumbelina,” said the lady, “foryou are no bigger than my thumb!”

Thumbelina and the old lady lived happily for many years. 

The girl slept in a bed made from a walnut 

shell. She loved the old woman very much.

One night, when the oldlady was asleep, a gianttoad hopped through
an open window andkidnapped Thumbelina.

“You are a pretty littlecreature” said the
toad, “you will makethe perfect bride for myhandsome son!”

When they reached the toad’s pond, sheset Thumbelina down before her son.

Thumbelina began to cry.

He was scary, slimy and covered in warts!Thumbelina just wanted to go home.

The next day, while the two toadswere making wedding arrangements,they left Thumbelina on a lily pad inthe middle of the pond.

Some fish heard hersobbing and nibbledthrough the lily pad’sstem to set her free.

Thumbelina floated down the streamfor a long time, past woods andfields of flowers. She was happy tobe free of the toads but she was scared shewould never find herway back home.

Suddenly a beetle swoopeddown and grabbed Thumbelinaby the waist. He flew her intoa tree, saying “You don’t lookmuch like a beetle but you arevery pretty!”

The beetle’s friends came to see Thumbelinabut they weren’t very pleased with her.

“Look how ugly she is!” they said. “She onlyhas two legs and where are her feelers?”

The beetle did not want to be seenwith her after this so he placed

Thumbelina on a daisy in the forestand left her there. Thumbelina weptfor hours, “I am so ugly, not eventhe beetle wants me!” she thought.

Thumbelina lived for a long time in theforest. She made a blanket out of leaves andsheltered herself from the rain under a plant.

The weather began to turn and winter came.Thumbelina became very cold and the plants

around her shrivelled and died.

A field-mouse foundher shivering and tookher into her warmhouse for the winter.

Thumbelina helpedwith the cleaningand told the mousestories and they livedvery happily together.

One day the field-mouse told Thumbelinashe was expecting a visit from herneighbour, the mole. “He is very rich andhas a much larger house than mine. If hewill take you for his wife you would bevery well looked after.”

When the mole visited, he could notsee Thumbelina as he was blind buthe was enchanted by the sound of herbeautiful voice.

For many weeks Thumbelina visited the molein his tunnel to keep him company. She toldhim stories of the flowers and the sun, buthe did not like the outside world. He liked tobe in his dark damp tunnels underground.

One day when they were walking, theycame across a bird who had fallen freezingthrough the ground into the tunnel. 

Thumbelina was sad for the birdand nursed it back to health. Thebird was a beautiful swallow.

When spring came and theswallow was fully healed,he thanked Thumbelina forsaving him. “Come withme!” he said. “I will fly youout of this dark hole intothe sunshine.” Thumbelinasadly refused the bird. She didn’t want to leave the field-mouse without saying goodbye. 

The mole, who had grown very fond ofThumbelina, asked her to marry him.

Too scared to refuse, she accepted.The mouse and the mole began toprepare for the wedding.

On the eve of her wedding, Thumbelina wentoutside one last time to say goodbye to theoutside world. She was sat sobbing when sheheard a “tweet, tweet” from above.

It was the swallow and hehad come to fly her away!

The bird carried her far away to a beautifulmeadow. Thumbelina asked to be placed on

a lovely white flower.

The bird flew her down and placedher on one of the flower’s largewhite petals. Thumbelina gasped.

There in the middle of the flowerthere stood a handsome young man,the same size as her!

The tiny man was in fact the prince of the flower fairies. The prince andThumbelina fell in love. He asked her tobe his wife and they were married andlived happily ever after.

THE END