Thumbelina
There used to be a woman who really wanted to have a tiny child. But she doesn't know where to get it from. So she went to consult a witch. She said to the witch:
I really want to have a little child! Can you tell me where I can get one
Hi! This is easy! "Said the witch. Take this barley grain. It's not the kind of barley grain that grows in the fields of rural people, nor is it the kind of barley grain that chickens eat. Bury it in a flowerpot. Soon you'll be able to see what you're looking for
Thank you, "the woman said. She gave the witch three silver coins. So she returned home and planted the barley grain. Before long, a bright red flower grew out. It looks very much like a tulip, but its leaves are tightly wrapped along the way, as if it is still a flower bud.
This is a very beautiful flower, "the woman said, while kissing the bright, yellow and reddish petals. However, as she was kissing, the flower suddenly snapped and bloomed. People can now see that this is a real tulip. But in the center of this flower, on top of the green pistil, sat a petite girl who looked white, tender, and lovely. She is not even half the length of her thumb, so people call her Thumbelina.
Thumbelina's cradle is a shiny and beautiful walnut shell, her cushion is made of blue violet petals, and her blanket is made of rose petals. This is where she sleeps at night. But during the day, she played on the table - on this table, the woman placed a plate with a circle of flowers on top, and the branches of the flowers were soaked in water. There are large tulip petals floating on the water. Thumbelina can sit on these petals and use two white horse tails as paddles to paddle from one side of the plate to another. This is so bright! She can still sing, and she sings so gently and sweetly that no one has ever heard her before.
One night, while she was sleeping on her beautiful bed, an ugly toad jumped out of the window because a piece of glass had already broken. This toad is ugly, big, and sticky. She always jumps onto the table. Thumbelina is sleeping on the table under the bright red rose petals.
This girl could be my son's beautiful wife, "said the toad. So she grabbed the walnut shell that Thumbelina was sleeping on and carried it out of the window, jumping all the way into the garden.
There is a wide brook flowing in the garden. But its two sides are low and humid. The toad and her son live here. oh dear! He and his mother are simply molded from the same mold, and they are also extremely ugly. Ge Ge! Ge Ge! Gua! Gua! Gua! Gua! "When he saw the bright little girl inside the walnut shell, he could only say these words.
Don't speak so loudly, or you'll wake her up, "said the old toad. She can still escape from us because she's as light as a swan's feathers all the way! We need to place her on the wide leaves of the water lily in the stream. Since she is so petite and lightweight, that leaf can be considered an island to her. She can't escape from there. During this period, we can repair the good house under the mud - you two can live there and make a living in the future
There are many green water lilies with wide leaves growing in the stream. They seem to float on the surface of the water. The farthest floating leaf is also the largest leaf along the way. The old toad swam towards it and placed the walnut shell and the sleeping Thumbelina on top of it.
This poor little girl woke up early in the morning. When she saw where she was now, she couldn't help but cry sadly, because the wide green leaves were surrounded by water, and she couldn't go back to land at all.
The old toad sat in the mud and decorated the room with cordyceps and yellow water lilies - with a new wife living inside, of course, it should be tidied up nicely. Then she and her ugly son swam towards Ye Zi who was holding Thumbelina. They want to move her bright bed away and place it in the bridal chamber before she comes. The old toad bowed deeply to her in the water and said, "This is my son; he is your future husband. You two will live happily in the mud
The only thing this young master can say is' Ge! Ge! Gua! Gua! Gua! Gua! '. They carried this beautiful little bed and swam in the water. Thumbelina sat alone on the green leaves and couldn't help but burst into tears, because she didn't like living with an hated toad all the way, nor did she like having that ugly young master as her husband. Some small fish swimming in the water have seen toads and heard what she said. So they all stuck their heads out, wanting to take a look at this little girl. They thought she was very bright at first glance, so they were very unhappy. They thought it was impossible for such a person to marry an ugly toad! This kind of thing must not be allowed to happen! They gathered all the way in the water around the stem holding the green leaf - the little girl lived on top of it. They bit off the stem of the leaf with their teeth, causing the leaf to flow along with the water, carrying Thumbelina and flowing very far, to a place that toads could not reach at all.
Thumbelina has traveled through many places. The birds living in some shrubbery saw her and sang, 'What a bright little girl!'
The leaves carried her drifting, drifting farther and farther away; In the end, Thumbelina drifted abroad.
A very cute white butterfly kept flying around her and eventually landed on a leaf because it loved Thumbelina so much; And she was also very happy because the toad could no longer find her. At the same time, the area she is currently passing through is so bright - the sun shining on the water is like the brightest gold. She took off her belt, tied one end to Hu Die's body, and tightly tied the other end to a leaf. Leaf and Thumbelina quickly flowed along the water, as she stood on top of Leaf.
At this moment, a large beetle flew in. He saw her. He immediately grabbed her slender waist with his paws and flew her all the way to the tree. But the green leaf continued to swim along the stream, and the butterfly followed along because it was tied to the leaf and couldn't fly away.
Oh my god! How scared poor Thumbelina must have been when the golden turtle flew into the wood with her! But she was more melancholic about the bright white butterfly. Did she tie him tightly there? On the leaves, if he can't get rid of it, he will definitely starve to death. But the beetle paid no attention to this situation. He sat with her on the largest green leaf on the tree, took out the honey from the flower and gave it to her to eat. At the same time, he said how beautiful she was, even though she didn't look like a beetle at all. Not long after, all the golden turtles living in the forest came to visit. They looked at Thumbelina. The Miss Golden Turtle shrugged their antennae and said:
Hi, she only has two legs! This is really ugly
She doesn't even have tentacles! "They said.
Her waist is too thin - bah! She looks completely like a person - how ugly she is! "All the female beetles said in unison.
However, Thumbelina is indeed very vibrant. Even the golden turtle that kidnapped her couldn't help but think like this. But when everyone said she was ugly, he finally had to believe it and didn't want to have her anymore! She can go anywhere now. They flew her all the way down from the tree and placed her on a daisy. She cried bitterly on that because she was so ugly that she didn't even want her penis anymore. But she is still the most vibrant person that people can't imagine, so delicate, so bright, like the purest rose petals along the way.
Throughout the summer, poor Thumbelina lived alone in this huge forest. She made a small bed for herself with grass leaves and hung it under the big burdock leaves along the way, so that the rain wouldn't fall on her. She takes honey from the flowers as food, and her drink is dewdrops condensed on the leaves every morning. The summer and autumn have passed like this. Now, winter - that cold and long winter - has arrived. The birds that sang sweet songs for her have now flown away. The trees and flowers have withered. The large burdock leaf - which she had always lived under - also curled up, leaving only a withered yellow stem. She felt extremely cold. Because her clothes were all torn, and her body was so thin and delicate - poor Thumbelina! She will definitely freeze to death. The snow also began to fall, and every snowflake fell on her like a person hitting a shovel full of snow on us, because we were short and she was only an inch long. She had to wrap herself in a withered leaf, but it wasn't warm - she was shivering from the cold.
Near the forest she is currently in, there is a large wheat field; However, the wheat in the field has already been harvested. The thawed ground only left some shiny red wheat stubble. For her, walking in the center of them was like passing through a vast forest. Ah。 She was shivering from the cold, how much she was shaking! Finally, she arrived at the door of a vole. This is a small hole under a wheat stubble. The field mouse lives there, warm and comfortable. She has a whole room of wheat hidden inside, as well as a beautiful kitchen and dining room. Poor Thumbelina stood inside the door, like the son of a poor girl begging for food. She requested to be given a barley grain as she hadn't eaten anything for two days.
You poor little one, "said the field mouse - because she was originally a kind-hearted old field mouse -" come to my warm house and have something to eat with me along the way
Because she really likes Thumbelina now, she said, "You can stay with me and spend this winter, but you have to keep my room clean and tidy, and tell me some stories because I just love listening to stories
Thumbelina agreed to every request made by this docile old field mouse. She lived there very happily.
We will have a guest coming soon, "said the field mouse. My neighbor often wakes up to see me once per star, and he lives much more comfortably than me. He has a spacious room and wears a very bright black velvet robe. As long as you can have him as your husband, you won't be able to enjoy it all your life. But his eyes can't see anything. You have to tell him some of the most beautiful stories you know
Thumbelina has little interest in this matter. She is unwilling to marry this neighbor because he is a mole. He came to visit wearing a black velvet robe. The field mouse said that despite his wealth and knowledge, his home was 20 times larger than the field mouse's; He has profound knowledge, but he doesn't like the sun and bright flowers; And he also likes to say good things about these things because he has never seen them himself.
Thumbelina needs to sing a song for him. She sang 'Golden Turtle, Fly Away!' and also sang 'Pastor Walks to the Grassland'. Because her voice was so bright, the mole couldn't help but fall in love with her. However, he did not express it because he is a very serious person.
Recently, he dug a long tunnel from his own house that leads to their house. He invited the field mouse and Thumbelina to take a walk in this tunnel, and they could come anytime they wanted. But he advised them not to fear a dead bird lying in the tunnel. He is a complete bird, with wings and a beak. There is no doubt that he died not long ago, at the beginning of winter. The place where he is buried now has been pierced by moles and turned into a tunnel. The mole holds a spark in its mouth - it can retract its radiance in gloom. He walked ahead and illuminated the long and dark tunnel for them. When they arrived at the place where the dead bird was lying, the mole used his big nose to press against the ceiling, arching the soil upwards and creating a large hole. The sunlight shines out through this hole. In the center of the ground lay a dead swallow, its bright wings tightly pressed against its body, its legs and head tucked into its feathers: this poor bird was undoubtedly frozen to death. This made Thumbelina feel very melancholy because she loved all birds very much. Indeed, they sang wonderful songs to her and whispered to her all summer long. But the mole pushed with his short leg and said, 'He can't sing anything anymore! He was born a little bird - what a pitiful thing! Thank goodness, my children won't be like this. A bird like this can't do anything, only chirp, and will have to starve to death in winter!'
Yes, you are a smart person and make sense, "said the field mouse. What's the use of these chirping songs for a sparrow when winter comes? He has only one way to go hungry and cold. But I think this is what everyone calls something amazing
Thumbelina didn't say a word. But when the two of them turned their backs towards the swallow, she bent down and gently brushed the cluster of feathers covering his head aside a few times, while lightly kissing his closed eyes.
The person who sang such bright songs to me in the scorching summer may be him, "she thought. He gave me so much joy - he, this dear, bright bird
The mole has now sealed off the sunlit entrance again; Then he accompanied these two ladies home. But that night, Thumbelina couldn't sleep for a moment. She got up and wove a large, bright blanket out of grass. She took it to the dead swallow and covered its whole body. She also wrapped some soft cotton she found in the field mouse's room around the swallow, so that he could sleep warm on this cold ground.
Goodbye, you bright little bird! "She said. Goodbye! In the scorching summer, when all the trees turn green, when the warm sun shines on us, you sing a bright song - I want to thank you for this! "So she pressed her head against the bird's chest. She immediately became frightened because something inside him seemed to be beating, and that was the heart of a bird. The bird didn't die, it just lay there frozen unconscious. Now he has received warmth, so he has come back to life.
In autumn, all swallows fly towards warm countries. However, if one of them falls off the team, it will encounter severe cold, so it will freeze and fall down like death; He could only lie on the ground where he fell, letting the frozen snowflakes cover his whole body.
Thumbelina is really shaking badly because she is so scared; This bird, compared to her who is only inches tall, is really too big. But she mustered up the courage. She tightly wrapped the cotton around the poor bird's body; At the same time, she took the mint leaf she often used as a cover and placed it on the bird's head.
The next night, she secretly went to see him again. He is now alive, but still a little awakened. He could only open his eyes slightly for a moment and glanced at Thumbelina. Thumbelina stood with a spark in her hand because she didn't have any other lamps.
I thank you - you, lovely little baby! "The swallow, who was not in good health, said to her." I am so comfortable and warm now! Soon I will be able to recover my strength and fly again, in the warm sunshine
Ah, "she said. It's so cold outside. Snowflakes are flying and freezing everywhere. Please still sleep on your warm bed, I can take care of you
She used flower petals to hold water and gave it to the swallow. After drinking the water, the swallow informed her that one of its wings had scraped on a thorny shrub, so it couldn't fly as fast as other swallows; At that time, they were on a long journey, flying to that distant and warm country. In the end, he fell to the ground, but he can't remember the rest now. He has no idea how he got to this place.
The swallow lived here all winter. Thumbelina treated him very well and liked him very much. The mole and the field mouse knew nothing about it because they didn't like this poor, lonely swallow.
When spring arrives and the sun warms the earth, the swallow bids farewell to Thumbelina. She opened the hole that the mole had dug on the top. The sun shone brightly on them. So the swallow asked Thumbelina if she was willing to leave with him all the way: she could ride on his back so that they could fly away far away, towards the green forest. But Thumbelina knew that if she left like this, the field mouse would feel pain.
No, I can't leave! "Thumbelina said.
Goodbye then, goodbye, you kind and lovely girl! "Said the swallow. So he flew towards the sun. Thumbelina was looking at him from the front, tears glistening in her eyes because she loved this poor swallow so much.
Dili! Dili! "The swallow sang and flew towards a green forest.
Thumbelina felt very melancholic. The field mouse forbade her from walking into the warm sunlight. In the wild on the field mouse roof, the wheat has grown very tall. For this poor little girl's son, the wheat is like a dense forest all the way, because she is only an inch tall after all.
On this hot day, you have to sew up your new wedding dress! "The field mouse said to her, because her hated neighbor - the mole in the black velvet robe - had already proposed to her. You need to prepare a sweater and cotton coat. After you become Mrs. Mole, you should have clothes to wear while sitting and clothes to wear while sleeping
Thumbelina needs to shake the spinning wheel now. The mole hired four spiders to spin and weave for her day and night. The mole visits her once every night. The mole always grumbles, 'When the summer is almost over, the sun won't be so hot anymore.'; Now the sun has baked the ground as hard as stones. Yes, after the summer has passed, he will marry Thumbelina. But she wasn't happy at all, because she really didn't like this hated mole. Every morning, when the sun rises, every evening, when the sun sets, she secretly walks to the door. When the wind blew the wheat ears to both sides, allowing her to see the azure sky, she imagined that it was very bright and shining outside, so she eagerly hoped to see her dear swallow again. But the swallow no longer came back. Without a doubt, it had flown far and wide into the bright and verdant forest. It's autumn now, and everything for Thumbelina's wedding dress is ready.
In four weeks, your wedding will be held, "the field mouse said to her. But Thumbelina cried and said she didn't want to marry this hated mole.
Nonsense! "The field mouse said," Don't be stubborn; otherwise, I'll bite you with my white teeth! He's a very lovely person, you have to marry him! Even the queen doesn't have a good black velvet robe like him! His kitchen and storage room are full of things. You should thank God for having such a husband
The wedding is about to take place now. The mole has arrived, he personally came to greet Thumbelina. She has to live with him all the way, deep underground, and never come into the warm sunshine because he doesn't like the sun. This poor little girl feels very melancholy now, because she has no choice but to bid farewell to the brilliant sun - this sun, when she lived with the field mouse all the way, she could still get permission to take a glance at the door.
Goodbye, you shining sun! "She said, extending her hands into the air and taking a few steps outside the field mouse's house - because the barley had already been harvested and only dry stubble was left here. Goodbye, goodbye! "She repeated, while embracing a small red flower that was still blooming with both arms. If you see that little swallow, I ask you to greet him on my behalf
Dili! Dili! "Suddenly, a voice shouted over her head. She looked up and saw that the little swallow had just flown by. He looked very happy as soon as he saw Thumbelina. She told him how unwilling she was to have that ugly mole as her husband; She also said that she had to live deep underground, and the sun would never shine. At the thought of this, she couldn't help but cry.
The harsh winter is coming now, "said the little swallow. I want to fly far away, to a warm country. Would you like to go with me? You can ride on my back! Tie yourself tightly with your belt. So we can leave this ugly mole and fly away from his gloomy house - far, far, far, high mountains, to a warm country: where the sun is brighter than here, where there is always only summer, where bright flowers bloom forever. Fly with me, you sweet little finger girl; when I froze stiff in that gloomy cave, you saved my life
Yes, I will go with you! "Thumbelina said. She sat on the back of the bird, resting her feet on his outstretched wings, while tightly tying herself to his strongest feather with a belt. So, the swallow flew into the air, over the forest, over the sea, and high above the snow covered mountains all year round. Thumbelina trembled in the cold sky. But then she crawled into the warm feathers of the bird. She just stretched out her cerebellar pouch and browsed the bright scenery below her.
In the end, they arrived in a warm country. The sun there shines much brighter than here, and the sky seems to be even higher. In the fields and on the fences, the most vibrant green and blue grapes are all grown. Lemons and oranges hang everywhere in the forest. The fragrance of peach blossom and musk wafted in the air; Many very cute children are running around on the road, playing with some brightly colored butterflies. But the swallows flew farther and farther, and the scenery became more and more vivid. There is a cluster of the cutest green trees by a blue lake, and inside them is a modern palace made of white marble that shines brightly. Grape vines cluster around many short columns. There are many swallow nests on their tops. One of the nests is the residence of the swallow currently flying with Thumbelina.
This is my house, "said the swallow. However, there are many bright flowers growing below, you can choose one of them; I can put you on top of it. So you can live as comfortably as you want
That's great, "she said, patting her small hands.
There is a huge marble pillar over there. It has fallen to the ground and has fallen into three sections. But at their center grows the most vibrant white flower. The swallow flew down with Thumbelina and placed her on its wide petals along the way. How surprised this little girl is! Sitting in the center of that flower is a small eyebrow—— He is so fair and transparent, like he is made of glass. He wore the most magnificent gold crown on his head, with a pair of shiny wings on his shoulders, and he himself was not shorter than Thumbelina. He is the angel of flowers. (Note: Angel is an angel. In Western literature, the personal image of an angel is usually a child with a pair of wings.) In every flower, there lives such a small eyebrow or woman. But this one is the king of all of them.
Oh my goodness! How beautiful he is! "Thumbelina whispered to the swallow. The little prince was very afraid of the swallow because it was so small and tender that to him, the swallow was like a big bird. But when he saw Thumbelina, he immediately became happy: she was the most vibrant girl he had ever seen in his life. So he took off the golden crown from his head and put it on hers. He asked her name and whether she would like to be his wife - so that she can be the queen of all flowers. Is this prince truly worthy of being called her husband? Is he more than *? The son of the toad and the mole wearing a big black velvet robe are completely different! So she said to the prince who was teasing her, 'I am willing.' At this moment, a young lady or a bearded man emerged from each flower. They are so cute, even a glance at them brings happiness. They each gave Thumbelina a gift, but the best gift was a pair of wings taken from a large white fly. They placed these wings on Thumbelina's back, and now she can fly back and forth among the flowers. At this moment, everyone became sad. The swallow sat in its own nest above, singing his best song for them. Then in his heart, he felt a little sad because he loved Thumbelina so much, and he really hoped never to leave her.
You shouldn't call Thumbelina anymore! "Flower Angel said to her. "This is a very ugly name, and you are so bright! From now on, we will call you Maya (Note: in Greek mythology, Maja is the largest and most beautiful of the seven daughters born by the giant god Atlas, Pleione). These seven sisters and their parents represent the nine brightest stars in Taurus along the way. They appear in May (harvest period) and hide in October (second sowing period)
Goodbye! Goodbye! "Said the little swallow. He flew away from this warm country and returned to Denmark, which is far away. In Denmark, he built a small nest on the window of a person who could write fairy tales. He sang to this person, 'Dili! Dili!' We heard the whole story from him. (1835)
This fairy tale was announced in the 1835 Copenhagen publication 'Stories for Children'. It is both a fairy tale and a poem, because its plot is vivid and moving, while also having a strong poetic flavor. Thumbelina, despite her small stature and difficult living conditions, possesses great and lofty ideals: she yearns for brilliance and freedom. In addition, she has a very kind heart. The lives of field mice and mole rats are quite good, they can't finish eating or using them up, and they are very satisfied with their life in the gloomy underground cave. But Thumbelina hates living under such vulgar, selfish, and sunless mud, and tries to be considerate of others in very difficult conditions. She did everything in her power to save the dying swallow. In the end, she was able to fly with the swallow to a free and vibrant country, living a happy life.