The Story of a woman who wants to have a baby girl

There lived a woman in a small house in a distant land. She wanted to have a baby girl. She went to the neighborhood witch and said, “I want to have a baby girl, sweet and pretty like rose!”

“Of course, my dear lady!” said the hunch-backed witch and gave her some corn seed “Don’t think that these are ordinary seeds. Take them to your house and plant them in a flowerpot. You will find your little girl!”

The woman hurried home with the corn seed and planted them in a pot. Next morning, when she went to the pot, she was surprised to see a large flower in the pot.

“Not a little girl, but a lovely flower!” she said and kissed the flower.

“Hello!” she heard a sweet little voice.

She looked around, but no one was near her. She wondered if at all she had heard anything.

“Look here, in the flower!” she heard the voice again. When she looked in the flower, she was amazed to see a little girl, not bigger than a thumb, sitting in the flower. She was very pretty. The woman was very happy to have her. She named her Thurnbelina.

Thurnbelina was given a walnut shell with rose petals as her bed. She used to sleep in the walnut shell. The woman gave her nice clothes and good food. She liked Thurnbelina very much. She used to take good care of her.

Thurnbelina liked to take long walks in the garden in the evenings. One evening, when she was taking a walk in the garden, she was confronted by a large frog. It was a she-frog.

‘Who are you?” the frog asked her.

“I am Thurnbelina!” she said.

“You are very pretty. You will make a nice wife for my son!” said the frog.

“No, I don’t want to marry your son!” said Thumbelina and tried to run away. But the frog caught her and dragged her to the nearby river.

There, they met the she-frog’s son. He was a very ugly fellow and smiled ear to ear when he saw Thumbelina.

“My nice wife! My beautiful wife!” he croaked as he jumped around happily.

The mother and son put her on a lotus leaf so that she would not run away. Thumbelina felt very sorry. She was scared of the frog and never wanted to marry him. She began crying. When the fishes who were swimming nearby saw her crying, they felt very sorry for her. They came to her and asked, “What ails you, dear lady?”

Thumbelina told them about the frog who wanted to marry her. “I don’t want to marry the ugly frog. But they have kept me on this lotus leaf. I can’t escape!”

The fish discussed among themselves and then swimming under the lotus leaf, they nibbled at the stalk. Soon the stalk gave away and the lotus leaf swam free. Thumbelina floated downstream. She was very happy to be able to escape from the frogs. She floated on the leaf for some time. Suddenly, a large beetle swooped down and carried Thumbelina to a nearby tree. She was very frightened.

“Don’t be afraid of me, little girl. Actually, after some distance, the river has a large waterfall. If you had continued floating on the leaf, you would have died. That’s why I have brought you here to save your life!” said the beetle.

Thumbelina felt very grateful towards the beetle “Thank you very much, dear beetle!” she said. The beetle was very helpful and brought her honey from various flowers.

Since he could not take care of her forever, he placed her on a large flower in the forest and went away. Thumbelina used to drink honey from the flower and spend her time playing in the flower petals.

As days passed, the sun hid behind the clouds. The weather became cooler and the flower withered away. Autumn had arrived.

“Oooh, it is so cold!” said Thumbelina to herself and wrapped herself in a leaf. She walked and walked for a long time. She did not know what to do. As she wandered searching for some shelter to escape from the bitter cold, she came across a mouse-hole. She entered the mouse-hole and reached a door. She knocked on the door.

“Who’s there?” someone said from inside.

“It’s me, Thumbelina. Please open the door. It is very cold outside!” she said.

The door was opened by a kind she-mouse. She took Thumbelina inside and offered her some warm food and clothes. Thumbelina started living with the she-mouse. A mole who lived in a nearby burrow was a friend of she-mouse. He used to visit the she-mouse frequently. He liked Thumbelina very much. He told the she-mouse that he wanted to marry Thumbelina. So, one day the she-mouse asked Thumbelina.

“How long do you want to stay here?”

“Till the sun shines again brightly!” said Thumbelina.

“Where will you she-mouse asked.

Thumbelina herself did not know where she would go. She kept quiet.

“Listen, Thumbelina”, said the she-mouse “The mole likes you very much. Since you have got nowhere to go, I suggest that you marry him!”

Thumbelina wanted to refuse, but she could not disobey the she-mouse who had been so kind to her. When she did not say anything, the she-mouse thought that Thumbelina has agreed for the marriage. She told the mole to make preparations for the marriage.

Meanwhile, one evening Thumbelina saw a poor swallow near the mouse-hole where she lived. The poor swallow was lying on the ground as if dead. She went near it and was pleased to see it was still alive. She tended to it and covered it with hay from the mouse-hole to kept it warm. She even gave it some food to eat. After a few days, the swallow regained its strength.

“Thank you very much for saving my life. I hope some day I would be able to return your favor!” it said and flew away.

Thumbelina was alone once again. As the mole and the she-mouse were busy making preparations for the marriage, Thumbelina was left alone most of the time. She never wanted to marry the mole. But she had no place to go. She used to be very-sad thinking of living with the mole after marriage in his burrow for whole life. Days passed and finally the marriage day arrived. That day, Thumbelina said to herself “As I have to stay with the mole all my life in his burrow, I am not sure if I will be able to see the sky again. Let me take a last look at the beautiful sky!”

Saying so, she went to the opening of the mouse-hole and stood looking at the sky.

“Good bye, dear sky! Good-bye! I will never be able to see you again!” cried Thumbelina sorrowfully.

“Hello, Thumbelina! Why do you cry so?” she heard a voice. She turned to see the swallow sitting on a tree. The swallow flew down to her.

“What ails you, dear Thumbelina?” The swallow asked her. Thumbelina told the swallow about the mole and how she was being forced to marry him.

“If you don’t want to marry the mole, come with me”, said the swallow “I am flying off to warmer lands. I came here to say goodbye to you. But I think it is better if you come with me!” said the swallow.

“But how will you take me with you, dear swallow?” asked Thumbelina.

“Oh, that’s easy. You can sit on my back and tie your belt around my neck and hold it tightly, while we fly away from here!” explained the swallow.

Thumbelina sat on the swallow’s back and tied the belt around the swallow’s neck. As the swallow flew into the sky, Thumbelina was very happy to be free again. The swallow flew over forests and seas, great mountains and valleys. As they came to the warmer regions of the south, Thumbelina was very happy to be away from the cold weather. Here, the sun shone brightly and the plants were full of flowers. At last they came upon magnificent green trees by a blue lake and there stood a shining white marble palace of olden times. Grapevines twined up its high pillars and on the top, near the roof were many nests. One of those nests belonged to the swallow.

“This is my house!” said the swallow. Soon his friends surrounded him and asked him where he was all these days. The swallow told them about Thumbelina and how she had saved his life.

“Dear Thumbelina, you are very kind!” said the swallow’s friends.

“Thank you!” said Thumbelina.

The swallow then took Thumbelina to a marble pillar lying on the ground. Along the pillar grew some plants and on the plants, Thumbelina saw the most beautiful white flowers she had seen in her life. When the swallow placed her on the largest flower, she was surprised to see a little man about her size sitting in the flower. On his head was the prettiest golden crown, and on his shoulders he had a pair of transparent wings. He was the angel of flowers. There were many angels in other flowers also, but this angel who was with Thumbelina was the King of all of them.

“My god, he is so handsome!” said the pleased Thumbelina to her swallow friend.

“My lucky stars! What a beautiful maiden you are!” said the King of angels “I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you. Will you be my wife!?”

‘Yes, I will!” Thumbelina said.

Soon, the marriage was celebrated with great pomp and glory. All the angels and the swallows attended the marriage. As a marriage present, the King of angels gave Thumbelina a pair of most beautiful delicate transparent wings and declared her to be the Queen of Angels. The wings were fastened to the Queen’s shoulders and she could also fly from flower to flower. So, Thumbelina finally found her happiness with the King of angels and lived happily with him ever after.