THUMBLING.
There was once a woman who had no little child. So one day she went to see a Wise Fairy.
“I wish for a tiny, little child,” she said. “Can you tell me where I can get one?”
“Here is a grain of corn,” said the Wise Fairy. “Plant it in a flower-pot. Then you will see what is to be seen.”
“Thank you,” said the woman.
Then she went home and planted the corn in a flower-pot.
The next day a large flower came up. It looked like a tulip bud.
The woman kissed the red and yellow leaves. As she kissed it the flower opened with a loud snap.
In the middle of the tulip there was a little tiny girl. She was only an inch high. So they named her Thumbling.
“Thumbling must have a cradle,” said the woman. So she made her one out of a walnut shell.
Thumbling slept on the blue velvet leaves of a violet. Her cover was a pink rose leaf.
One night a great Ugly Toad hopped in at the window.
“What a pretty little girl!” she said. The Ugly Toad took the walnut shell and hopped down into the garden. A brook ran through the garden.
“I will put her out in the brook on a water-lily leaf,” said the Ugly Toad. “Then she cannot get away.”
On the largest leaf the Toad laid the walnut shell. Thumbling was in it fast asleep.
In the morning Thumbling awoke and began to cry. The Fishes looked up and saw poor little Thumbling.
“Why are you crying, little girl?” they said.
“I do not want to live with the Ugly Toad,” said Thumbling.
“Live with the Toads?” said the Fishes. “No, that must never be.”
They cut the stem of the lily leaf with their sharp teeth.
The lily leaf floated down the brook and carried Thumbling away from the Ugly Toads.
By and by a large May-bug came flying along.
He caught Thumbling with his long claws. Then he flew with her into a tree. How frightened little Thumbling was!
Soon many other May-bugs came into thetree, to look at poor frightened little Thumbling.
“Why!” said one. “She has no claws.”
“She has only two legs,” said another. “She should have six.”
“How ugly she is!” said all the others.
When the May-bug heard this he flew down with her from the tree. He set her upon a large daisy and left her there.
All summer Thumbling lived alone in the great woods.
She wove a bed out of the leaves of grass. She hung the bed under a large leaf to keep out the rain.
Thumbling ate the honey from the flowers. She drank the dew that stood every morning upon the leaves.
Then winter came, and it began to snow. Poor little Thumbling! She was very cold.
A Field Mouse lived in a corn-field close to the woods.
“I will ask the Field Mouse for something to eat,” she said.
Poor Thumbling stood at the door like a little beggar girl.
“You dear child!” said the Field Mouse. “Come into my warm house. You may eat dinner with me.”
“Would you like to stay with me all winter?” said the Field Mouse.
“You may keep my house clean, and you may tell me pretty stories.”
The winter was long and cold. But Thumbling was happy with the kind Field Mouse.
One day Thumbling found a poor bird lying near the Field Mouse’s door. Thumbling was very sorry. She thought the bird was dead.
“Poor little Swallow!” she said. “You must not lie on the cold snow.”
Thumbling wove a mat of hay. Then she laid it over the Swallow. She found some soft wool and made a warm bed.
“Good-by, you pretty little Swallow,” she said.
Then Thumbling laid her head against the bird. The Swallow moved. It was not dead. It was only cold.
The Swallow opened its eyes and looked at Thumbling.
“Thank you, pretty child,” he said. “I am warm now. Soon I shall fly about in the bright sunshine.”
“Oh!” said Thumbling. “You cannot live out of doors. Cold winter is here. You must stay in the Field Mouse’s home.”
The Field Mouse did not like birds. But she liked Thumbling and wished to make her happy.
So all winter the Swallow lived in the Field Mouse’s warm home.
At last spring came.
“I must go now,” said the Swallow. “Will you go with me, Thumbling? You may sit upon my back and I will fly out into the bright sunshine.”
“No!” said Thumbling. “The kind Field Mouse will be sorry to have me leave her.”
“Good-by, then, dear little Thumbling,” said the Swallow.
“No, no!” said Thumbling. “I will go with you. I do not like to live in the dark ground when it is so beautiful above.”
Thumbling sat upon the Swallow’s back. Then he flew high up into the air.
By and by they came to a warm country.
A large white flower was growing in a garden. The Swallow flew down and set Thumbling upon one of its broad leaves.
In the middle of the flower she saw a little tiny man. He was no larger than Thumbling.
The tiny man was as pure and white as if made of glass. He had a gold crown on his head and bright wings on his shoulders.
He was the King of the flower fairies.
“Oh, how beautiful he is!” said Thumbling to the Swallow.
The fairy King was glad to see Thumbling. He took off his crown and put it on her head.
“You shall be Queen of all the flower fairies,” he said.
How happy every one was! Out of every flower came a tiny flower fairy.
Each one brought the Queen a gift, but the one she liked best was a pair of golden wings.
When she put these on she could fly from flower to flower.
“You shall not be called Thumbling,” said the fairy King. “That is an ugly name. We will call you Maia.”
Hans Christian Andersen(Adapted).