Thumbelina's Big Adventure

Once upon a time, a woman wished for a child, even a tiny one. A kind witch gave her a magic seed. "Plant this and see what happens!" she said.

The woman planted the seed. POP! A beautiful flower grew. When the petals opened, inside sat the tiniest girl ever! She was no bigger than a thumb.

"I'll call you Thumbelina," said the woman happily.

Thumbelina slept in a walnut shell bed. She sailed across a bowl of water on a tulip petal boat. She sang the sweetest songs. Everyone loved her.

One night, an ugly toad hopped through the window. "What a perfect wife for my son!" she croaked. The toad snatched Thumbelina and hopped away to the pond.

The toad put Thumbelina on a lily pad in the middle of the water. "You can't escape now!" she laughed. "You'll marry my son tomorrow!"

Poor Thumbelina cried and cried. The little fish felt sorry for her. They nibbled through the lily pad stem. WHOOSH! The lily pad floated away like a boat!

"Thank you, fishy friends!" called Thumbelina as she floated down the stream.

A pretty butterfly landed nearby. Thumbelina tied her ribbon to the butterfly. Zoom! They sailed even faster, away from the toads forever.

But then, a big beetle flew down. BUZZ! He grabbed Thumbelina with his legs and flew up to a tree.

"Look at my pretty prize!" said the beetle to his friends.

But the other beetles were mean. "She only has two legs! She has no feelers! She's ugly!" they said.

The beetle believed them. He dropped Thumbelina on a daisy and flew away.

All summer, Thumbelina lived alone in the forest. She made a bed from grass and drank dewdrops. When winter came, she was so cold and hungry.

Thumbelina found a little door in the ground. She knocked softly. A field mouse opened it.

"Oh, you poor dear! Come in, come in!" said the kind mouse.

The mouse's home was warm and cozy. Thumbelina helped with chores and sang beautiful songs. The mouse loved having her there.

One day, the mouse's friend came to visit. He was a rich mole who lived in a big tunnel next door.

"Marry my friend the mole," said the mouse. "He has a nice home and lots of food."

But Thumbelina didn't want to marry the mole. He lived underground and never saw the sunshine. That made her sad.

One day in the tunnel, Thumbelina found a swallow bird lying still. "Poor bird," she whispered. She covered him with a warm leaf.

The bird's heart went thump-thump! He was alive! All winter, Thumbelina took care of him secretly.

When spring came, the swallow was strong again. "Come with me!" he chirped. "Fly away to warm lands!"

"I can't leave the kind mouse," said Thumbelina.

The swallow flew away. Thumbelina was very sad. Tomorrow she had to marry the mole and live underground forever.

On her wedding day, Thumbelina went outside one last time. "Goodbye, bright sun!" she cried.

"Tweet-tweet!" It was her swallow friend! "Jump on my back! Come with me now!

"

This time, Thumbelina said YES! She climbed on, and they flew up, up, up into the sky!

They flew over mountains and seas to a land of flowers and sunshine. The swallow landed near the most beautiful flower.

Inside the flower sat a tiny prince with wings! He was exactly Thumbelina's size!

"Welcome!" said the prince. "Will you be our queen?"

Thumbelina smiled the biggest smile. She had found her true home at last.

The flower people gave her beautiful wings. Now she could fly! They called her Princess Maia.

Thumbelina married the prince, and they lived happily in the land of flowers, dancing in the sunshine every day.

And sometimes, her friend the swallow would visit and tell everyone about the brave tiny girl who never gave up.