Little Tiny or Thumbelina Page #4

In "Little Tiny or Thumbelina," author Hans Christian Andersen introduces readers to Tiny, a lovely girl no bigger than a thumb. She is brought into the world inside a barleycorn given to a woman by a witch. Thumbelina's adventures begin when she is kidnapped from her cozy home by an ugly toad, desiring her as a bride for her son. Thumbelina's journey takes her to many unknown, dangerous places, filled with monstrous creatures. Despite her trials, Thumbelina never loses her courage, for she is a kind-hearted creature. The tale underscores the classic theme of good triumphing over evil, ending with Thumbelina's reunion with loving, beautiful creatures just like her.

• Children

								

man and a tiny woman dwell in every flower; and this was the king of
them all.

"Oh, how beautiful he is!" whispered Tiny to the swallow.

The little prince was at first quite frightened at the bird, who
was like a giant, compared to such a delicate little creature as
himself; but when he saw Tiny, he was delighted, and thought her the
prettiest little maiden he had ever seen. He took the gold crown
from his head, and placed it on hers, and asked her name, and if she
would be his wife, and queen over all the flowers.

This certainly was a very different sort of husband to the son
of a toad, or the mole, with my black velvet and fur; so she said,
"Yes," to the handsome prince. Then all the flowers opened, and out of
each came a little lady or a tiny lord, all so pretty it was quite a
pleasure to look at them. Each of them brought Tiny a present; but the
best gift was a pair of beautiful wings, which had belonged to a large
white fly and they fastened them to Tiny's shoulders, so that she
might fly from flower to flower. Then there was much rejoicing, and
the little swallow who sat above them, in his nest, was asked to
sing a wedding song, which he did as well as he could; but in his
heart he felt sad for he was very fond of Tiny, and would have liked
never to part from her again.

"You must not be called Tiny any more," said the spirit of the
flowers to her. "It is an ugly name, and you are so very pretty. We
will call you Maia."

"Farewell, farewell," said the swallow, with a heavy heart as he
left the warm countries to fly back into Denmark. There he had a
nest over the window of a house in which dwelt the writer of fairy
tales. The swallow sang, "Tweet, tweet," and from his song came the
whole story.
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