Thumbelina（拇指姑娘）

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A long time ago and far away, there lived a woman and her husband. The woman was very sad for she had no children.

　　One day she sat by her window. " I wish I had a daughter," she sighed. "Even if she were only the size of my thumb."

　　Now the fairies heard her, and because the woman was good and kind, they granted her wish.

　　The next morning, on the windowsill, was a flowerpot with a beautiful flower growing.

　　The woman watched as the flower opened, and there nestled in the petals was a beautiful girl -- just the size of the woman's thumb!

　　The woman was very happy and she made clothes for her, and a bed from a walnut shell. The girl ate tiny amounts -- a crumb was like a loaf to her!

　　"I shall call you Thumbelina," said the woman.

　　Somebody else watched Thumbelina -- the toad from the brook. She was looking for a wife for her son, and Thumbelina was perfect.

　　One night she came and stole Thumbelina away while she was sleeping. She crept through a broken window pane and dragged away the walnut shell.

　　Thumbelina awoke near the toad's hole by the brook.

　　"Your are to be my son's wife," said the old toad. "He will take you to his hold later today."

　　Thumbelina did not want to be a toad's wife, and looked around for help. A butterfly took pity on her and said, "Jump on this leaf and I'll drag it downstream away from the toads.

　　Thumbelina was so small and light that the butterfly could easily drag the leaf. Thumbelina escaped from the toads, but she was still far from home.

　　When the leaf stopped against the bank, she jumped off and began to look for somewhere to stay.

　　It was summer, and very warm and there was plenty of fruit to eat in the hedgerows. It was mild at night, so Thumbelina wandered on looking for a new home.

　　But summer soon ended, and autumn cam. the days grew colder, and so did the nights. Thumbelina summer dress was worn out, and she felt cold all the time.

　　One warmer day she wandered into a cornfield. The corn had been cut, and she could walk through the stubble. She sat in the sunshine and cried.

　　"What's wrong, my dear?" squeaked a small voice.

　　Thumbelina looked up. It was a field mouse.

　　"Winter's coming and I have nowhere to go," said Thumbelina.

　　The fieldmouse lived all alone, and very much wanted someone to keep her company for the winter months.

　　"I have a spare room," she said. "You could stay there, if you'll help me around the house."

　　"Of course," said Thumbelina. "I'll help as much as I can. Thank you."

　　Thumbelina was very happy with the fieldmouse. They shared all the housework and Thumbelina had her own room, new clothes and someone to talk to. She told the fieldmouse about her adventures so far.

　　"My, what a busy life you've had!" said the fieldmouse. " you must meet my friend, Mr. Mole. He'll tell you all sorts of things. A very distinguished fellow is Mr. Mole."

　　Mr. Mole came to visit several times over the winter. The ground above their heads was cold and hard, but he came in the tunnels he had dug in the summer.

　　" you must come and see my home," he said to Thumbelina.

　　When he had gone, the fieldmouse was very excited.

　　"He's never done that before," she squeaked. "No one has been invited to him home before. He must like you. You could do no worse than marry him, you know."

　　Thumbelina was horrified. She did not want to be married to Mr. Mole. He had already told her how much he hated the sunshine and flowers. Thumbelina loved flowers and the warm sun.

　　One day, when spring was drawing near and the weather was growing warner, Mr. Mole led the way along and passages between the field mouse's home and his own.

　　"Be careful here," he suddenly said. "One of those summer birds has fallen in here." He pointed to the swallow's body.

　　Thumbelina was very sad to see it. Later that day she went back to it. She held its head in her arms, and after a while, much to her surprise the bird moved. It was still alive.

　　When it was able to talk it told Thumbelina how it had returned early from the warm lands in the south and had been caught in a cold snap. It had crawled into Mr. Mole's tunnel for shelter.

　　Thumbelina took food to the swallow and soon it was ready to leave.

　　"Come with me, Thumbelina," said the swallow.

　　"I can't," said Thumbelina. "It would be unfair to leave the fieldmouse so suddenly. She's been good to me."

　　"If you change your mind," said the swallow, flying above her head, "just cal out for me. Good-bye and thank you."

　　Winter passed into spring, and it became more obvious that Mr. Mole wanted Thumbelina to be his wife.

　　"We can be married in the autumn," he told the fieldmouse, who was very excited.

　　"Oh, Thumbelina," she said. "We will prepare everything for the autumn. We must make mew clothes for you, new linens for your new home, on all sorts of things. Busy, busy, busy."

　　The fieldmouse was happy to go around and organise things for Thumbelina.

　　Summer was warm, and the scarlet poppies bobbed their heads high above Thumbelina in the cornfield. The corn grew higher, and waved in the summer breezes.

　　Autumn was fast approaching and so was the wedding day.

　　'I can't marry Mr. Mole,' thought Thumbelina.

　　"You won't be able to come up to the flowers and sunshine when you're married to me," Mr. Mole had told her. "They're a waste of time. Worms and life underground is best for you and me."

　　"May I go to sit in the sun for the last time?" Thumbelina asked on her wedding day.

　　"You may," said Mr. Mole. "But don't be too long."

　　Thumbelina ran up to the surface and went through the cornfield.

　　"Come to me, swallow," she called. "Help me to escape."

　　A moment later, the swallow flew down.

　　"Thumbelina!" he said. "I waited for you. Climb on my back. We'll fly south to the warm lands."

　　Thumbelina climbed on and held tight to the swallow's feathers, as they flew south over fields and forests, lakes and seas.

　　The land changed and it grew warmer.

　　"This is my home," said the swallow, at last. "I'll put you down in a flower."

　　The swallow landed, and Thumbelina climbed off, looking at the flowers around her.

　　There among the petals, were people the same size as Thumbelina. They had wings and flew from flower to flower.

　　They welcomed her and told her how beautiful she was.

　　"Will you be our Queen?" asked the handsomest, who was also the King. He gave her a pair of wings, and soon she was flying with them.

　　The King then changed her name.

　　"Thumbelina is such an ugly name,: he said. "Your new name will be Maia."

　　Thumbelina had found her home at last.
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