Thumbelina

Today my little listeners, I’m gonna tell you the story of Thumbelina!

Once upon a time, there was a woman living alone in a distant village. She was feeling only after the tragic death of her husband. She always wanted a child, but she hadn’t any. One day, she decided to visit her good friend who was also a witch.

The witch, gave her a grain of barely and said:

go home and plant this.

so the woman did so.

The very next day, a beautiful Tulip flower had grown from the grain. It was so beautiful. the woman hadn’t seen any flower like this in her life. When the flower blossomed, there was a pretty little girl inside it. The girl was no bigger than a thumb.

The woman fell in love with the girl and named her: Thumbelina

Thumbelina took away the woman loneliness. Woman would always tell her stories during the day. Sometimes woman would made a boat out of tulip petal which Thumbelina could row in a plate of water with it!

The woman made a bed with a walnut shell and a blanket out of rose petal for her. So Thumbelina had a soft and cozy bed to sleep every night.

One night, While Thumbelina was sleeping, a frog came by and see her through the window!

Wow! Such a beautiful girl! She would be a great bride for my son! He thought to himself.

So he grabbed Thumbelina and headed back to his house. Seeing his future bride, his son was happy.

I will marry her, daddy! But first, I have to build her a beautiful house.

Ok son! So until then, I will put her on the water lily in the middle of the pond so she doesn’t run away.

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So the frog put Thumbelina on the lily leaf in the middle of the pond.

Thumbelina tried so hard to escape, but she couldn’t. So she burst into tears. Two minnows who were sitting under the leaf, heard her crying:

Why are you crying little girl? They asked. What’s the matter?

Thumbelina started to tell her story. When she finished, minnows decided to help her. They started nibbling the lily stem. It was soon after when the stem broke and the leaf floated away with Thumbelina.

But Thumbelina’s happiness didn’t last long. An ugly Beetle came and took Thumbelina to his house! The beetle called his friends and showed them his pretty new prisoner. But they weren’t happy to see Thumbelina!

Oh my friend! You should let her go! She is very different from us. She doesn’t belong here. you better let her go. Said his friends.

So the beetle dropped our Thumbelina in the long grass and flower.

Although she was happy that she was free from her captors, she didn’t know her way back to home! Days came by and she would eat the pollen of the flowers and drink the dew from their leaves.

One day as she was walking, she accidently saw a house that was made of mud. Its entrance was strange and round. She knocked one the door and waited. After a while, a mouse opened the door.

Hello little guest! I think it’s cold out there! Do you wanna come in? Said the mouse.

Yes! thank you!

So what is your story tiny girl?

Thumbelina started to tell the whole story for her new friend.

Don’t worry at all! You can stay here as long as you want.

So Thumbelina started her new life in her new house. She wanted to be useful, so she would cook food every day and tell stories for little mouse.

One day, when Thumbelina was cooking, mouse came by and said:

I invited a good friend of mine. He is one of the richest mice ever.

So Thumbelina cooked a delicious dinner. That night, all three of them talked and had a great time at the dinner table. The rich mouse fell in love with Thumbelina and said:

I will marry you! I want you to come with me and visit my house!

Thumbelina had no choice, So The three of them headed to the house of the rich mouse. in the middle of their journey, they reached a tunnel where they found an injured swallow.

What is he doing down here?! He should be in the air! Said the rich mouse rudely and kicked the swallow!

Thumbelina was shocked.

How could anyone treat another like this! Oh dear! She thought!

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So she ran away when she got a chance. She hid behind a rock and waited for the mouse to go! Then she came back and took care of the swallow until he was fine and healthy again. It was spring and the swallow was able to fly again.

I have to go and find my family! They went to a warmer place! come with me! We’re gonna have so much fun! Said the swallow!

But Thumbelina had enough adventure! So she said goodbye to the swallow and he flew away!

months passed and Thumbelina was still wandering in the nature when she stumbled upon the rich mouse again!

OH my beloved tiny bride! I’ve been looking for you for months! Now that I found you, you have to marry me!

Thumbelina knew that there is no way out of this!

OK! But please let me spend just one day more in the open air before coming with you to your underground house.

As she was spending her last hours in the open field, she heard a familiar voice:

Come! Come away with me where your sprit will always be free! Said the swallow!

Happy of meeting her old friend, she agreed to go on a trip with him. She hopped on his back and they took of. They flew over forests, oceans and lands!

When they reached the land of flowers, The swallow landed Thumbelina on a beautiful rose petal and said:

This is the kingdom of flowers! And This is their king!

He was a handsome young king with a pair of wings who was surrounded by lovely flowers. The king immediately fell in love with Thumbelina!

Will you marry me?

Yes!

As happiness spread across her face, she grew tow beautiful wings and became the flower Queen! Soon there was a wedding and they lived together happily ever after.

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About Thumbelina story

Written by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, Thumbelina is a literary novel bedtime story fairy tale which was first published by C. A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark, alongside “The Naughty Boy” and “The Travelling Companion” in the second instalment of Fairy Tales Told for Children.

Thumbelina is about a tiny girl and her adventures with marriage-minded toads, moles, and cockchafers. She successfully avoids their intentions before falling in love with a flower-fairy prince just her size.

About Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author, prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems. But he is best known for his literary fairy tales.

Anderson’s Fairy tales have been translated into near 125 languages. His stories consist of 156 stories across 9 volumes. Although they usually known as children stories, They provide lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, “The Little Mermaid”, “The Nightingale”, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”, “The Red Shoes”, “The Princess and the Pea”, “The Snow Queen”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Little Match Girl”, and “Thumbelina” are the most famous fairy tales written by Anderson. His stories have inspired ballets, plays, and animated and live-action films.

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Inspired Movies, Animations or theater plays

Animation

There are several animated versions of Thumbelina story:

• A half-hour Russian adaptation of the fairy tale released in 1964
• Thumbelina made by Golden films in 1992
• Thumbelina: A magical story, A Japanese Anime, released in 1993
• Thumbelina produced by Warner Brothers in 1994

Live action

An adaptation of the Thumbelina story directed by Barry Mahon was included as an embedded narrative in the 1972 low-budget film Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.

Also, On June 11, 1985, a television dramatization of the tale was broadcast as the 12th episode of the anthology series Faerie Tale Theatre.