Once upon a time, there was a kind woman who wished for a child. She went to see a wise fairy who gave her a magic seed. "Plant this seed with love," said the fairy. The woman took the seed home. She put it in a pot with soft dirt. She gave it water and love each day. One sunny morning, a pretty flower grew. It was pink and gold. When it opened up, there sat a tiny girl! She was no bigger than the woman's thumb. "I will call you Thumbelina," said the woman with joy. Thumbelina was a happy little girl. She wore dresses made of flower petals. She slept in a walnut shell bed with rose petal covers. But one day, while Thumbelina was playing near the window, she saw something that made her curious. There was a beautiful garden outside, and she could hear birds singing.
Thumbelina ran to her mother, who was baking bread in the kitchen. "Mama, may I go see the garden?" she asked in her tiny voice. Mother looked worried. "You are very small, my dear. The world can be big and scary." "Please, Mama? I will be very careful," said Thumbelina. Mother thought for a bit. Then she smiled and said, "Yes, but let me help you get down there safely." Mother made a tiny rope from thread. She helped Thumbelina climb down from the window to a soft patch of grass. The garden was huge to tiny Thumbelina! The flowers were like tall trees. The grass was like a forest. She saw bugs and birds up close. As she walked around, she heard a friendly voice. "Hello there!" Looking up, she saw two choices before her.
Thumbelina walked over to the dandelion where the friendly field mouse sat wearing a cozy gray shawl. "Hi! I'm Thumbelina," she said with a smile. "Welcome to the garden! I'm Mrs. Field Mouse," said the mouse. "I've never seen anyone as tiny as you before - except for the fairy folk!" Thumbelina's eyes got big. "Fairy folk? Are there others my size?" Mrs. Field Mouse nodded. "Oh yes! But they live far away in the flower meadow. Would you like to hear more about them?" Just then, they heard a loud splash from a nearby pond. Both Thumbelina and Mrs. Field Mouse turned to look. There, sitting on a lily pad, was a fat green toad wearing a brown spotted vest. "My, my! What a lovely tiny girl!" called the toad with a big grin.
Thumbelina waved goodbye to Mrs. Field Mouse and walked to the edge of the pond. The toad hopped closer on his lily pad. "Hello little one! I am Mr. Toad. Would you like to see my home? It's very nice, with lots of pretty water lilies." Before Thumbelina could answer, the toad jumped to the shore. With one quick hop, he scooped her up and jumped back onto the lily pad. "Oh!" cried Thumbelina as they began to float away. "But I need to get back to my mother!" "Don't worry," said the toad. "You'll love my home under the water!" As they floated further into the pond, Thumbelina saw fish swimming below. The lily pad moved faster and faster. Just then, a brown swallow with white chest feathers flew overhead. It looked down at Thumbelina with kind eyes.
Thumbelina looked around quickly. She saw another lily pad nearby. While the toad wasn't looking, she took a deep breath and jumped! SPLASH! She landed on the edge of the lily pad, but it was wet and slippery. Her tiny hands grabbed at the smooth surface as she started to slide into the water. "Help!" she called out in her tiny voice. The kind swallow swooped down right away. "Hold on, little one!" it called. But the water was pulling at Thumbelina's dress. The lily pad was too slick to climb. She could see the angry toad hopping closer on his lily pad.
Thumbelina reached up just as the swallow flew low over the lily pad. Her tiny fingers caught hold of its soft chest feathers. With a strong flap of wings, the swallow lifted her safely into the air! "Thank you!" she called over the wind. "I'm Thumbelina!" "I am Swift," said the swallow kindly. "Hold on tight, little friend!" They soared high above the pond, leaving the grumpy toad far behind. Thumbelina had never felt so free! The wind rushed through her hair as they flew over flowers and trees. "Where would you like to go?" Swift asked. "I know many wonderful places!" Below them, Thumbelina could see three different paths. There was a field of colorful wildflowers where tiny lights twinkled like stars. There was also a cozy-looking mouse hole near a wheat field that reminded her of Mrs. Field Mouse. And in the distance, she could see her mother's cottage with its warm, glowing windows.
"Could we visit Mrs. Field Mouse?" Thumbelina asked. "She was so kind to me earlier." "Of course!" Swift swooped down toward the cozy mouse hole near the wheat field. He landed gently and set Thumbelina on her feet. Mrs. Field Mouse was sweeping her doorway when she saw them. "Oh, Thumbelina! I was so worried when you disappeared! Come in, come in - both of you!" The mouse hole was warm and snug. Tiny lanterns made from acorns lit up the walls. Soft beds of cotton fluff filled the corners. A small table held seeds and berries. "You must stay for tea," said Mrs. Field Mouse. She poured warm flower nectar into thimble cups. As they sipped their tea, Mrs. Field Mouse told stories about the garden. She knew all about the fairy folk who lived in the flower meadow. "They have golden wings," she said. "And they dance in the moonlight!" Suddenly, they heard quick footsteps outside. A voice called, "Mrs. Field Mouse! The first frost is coming tonight!"
Thumbelina, Swift, and Mrs. Field Mouse hurried outside. There stood a small fairy boy with tan skin, short black hair, and shimmering golden wings. He wore a tunic made of green leaves. "I'm Prince Evergreen," he said, bowing to them. "We must hurry! The frost will freeze all the flowers soon. I've been looking for anyone who needs shelter." Thumbelina stared in wonder. She had never seen another person her size before! The fairy prince's wings sparkled like morning dew. "You're just like me!" she said with joy. Prince Evergreen smiled. "I've heard about you, Thumbelina. The garden creatures talk of the tiny girl who came from a flower. Would you like to see where the fairy folk live?" Mrs. Field Mouse nodded eagerly. "Go, dear! The frost is coming, and you'll be safer with them." Swift ruffled his feathers. "I can fly you both to the flower meadow if you'd like." The air was getting colder. Tiny snowflakes began to fall. Thumbelina could feel the chill through her flower petal dress.
Thumbelina smiled and took Prince Evergreen's hand. "Yes, I'll go with you!" Swift spread his wings wide. "Hop on, little friends!" They said goodbye to Mrs. Field Mouse, who waved from her doorway. Swift carried them high into the air, flying over the garden as more snowflakes swirled around them. The flower meadow was magical! Hundreds of flowers glowed with warm light. Tiny houses made of shells and leaves nestled between the stems. Fairy folk with golden wings flew from flower to flower, helping smaller creatures find warm places to sleep. "Welcome to our kingdom," said Prince Evergreen. He led Thumbelina to a large rose that had been turned into a cozy house. "You'll be safe from the frost here." Inside, fairy children played games with acorn tops. Others wove blankets from soft flower silk. Everyone was Thumbelina's size! "Would you like to learn fairy magic?" Prince Evergreen asked. "We use it to help the garden grow and keep our friends safe."
"Oh yes, please!" Thumbelina said excitedly. Prince Evergreen led her to a special room in the rose house. Tiny crystals hung from the ceiling, making rainbow lights dance on the walls. Other fairy children gathered around. "First, you must find your own magic," said Prince Evergreen. He held out a glowing seed. "Cup your hands around this seed and think happy thoughts." Thumbelina held the seed gently. She thought about her mother's love, her new friends, and the beautiful garden. The seed began to glow brighter and brighter! Suddenly, something amazing happened. Golden sparkles swirled around Thumbelina. She felt a tingle on her back. Two beautiful wings, just like the other fairies, grew from her shoulders! "The magic was in you all along," Prince Evergreen smiled. "You were born from a magic flower, after all!" Thumbelina fluttered her new wings with joy. She rose a few inches off the ground, wobbling like a baby bird. "Now," said Prince Evergreen, "would you like to help us prepare the garden for winter? There are two important tasks we need to do."
"Yes, let's help the flowers!" Thumbelina said, her new wings shimmering. Prince Evergreen showed her how to sprinkle fairy dust on each flower. The dust would keep them warm and safe until spring. Together, they flew from flower to flower, working as a team. "Goodnight, little ones," Thumbelina whispered to each flower. She gently touched their petals, and they curled up cozy and tight. Some of the smaller flowers were scared of the cold. Thumbelina sang them soft lullabies, just like her mother used to sing to her. Her voice was sweet and gentle, and the flowers relaxed under her care. "You have a natural gift," Prince Evergreen said warmly. "The flowers trust you." As they worked, Thumbelina noticed some garden creatures still looking for shelter. A family of ladybugs huddled under a leaf, shivering in the cold air. Prince Evergreen watched her notice them. "What do you think we should do to help them?"
Thumbelina fluttered down to the shivering ladybugs. "Come with me, little friends!" she called softly. The ladybug family followed her to the rose house, where she and Prince Evergreen helped them settle into a cozy nook made of cotton fluff and flower petals. All through the winter, Thumbelina lived happily with the fairy folk. She learned more magic each day, helping garden creatures and tending to sleeping flowers. Prince Evergreen became her best friend, teaching her to fly and sharing stories of fairy adventures. When spring came, Thumbelina flew to visit her mother. Tears of joy filled her mother's eyes when she saw her daughter's beautiful wings. "My dear Thumbelina," her mother smiled, "you've found where you belong!" "Yes, Mama," Thumbelina hugged her mother tight. "But I'll visit you every day! And in summer, you can come see the flower meadow too!" And so Thumbelina lived happily between two worlds - visiting her mother's warm cottage and living among the fairy folk, where she helped care for all the tiny creatures of the garden. Her kind heart and gentle spirit made her a friend to all, and her magic helped the garden bloom more beautifully than ever before.
