Hello,
Dear ones,
And welcome.
I will be telling you the story of Thumbelina,
Based on the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen.
You may notice a few adaptations from the original story.
See if you can find them.
Once upon a time,
There was a kind woman who lived next to a meadow of beautiful wildflowers.
She would wake up every morning,
Look out over the fields of color,
And sing about their beauty.
As time went on,
The woman wished she had someone to share the lovely view with,
And her morning song changed to a wish for a daughter.
The fairy king of the flowers who lived in the field heard the woman's song.
She sang with such sincerity and longing that he wanted to grant her wish for a little girl.
He approached the woman while she sang one morning and gave her a special seed.
I have heard your sweet singing.
Take this seed and plant it.
Give it light,
Water,
And love.
If you remember to do these things every day,
Your wish will be granted.
The woman was so excited.
She thanked the fairy king and planted her special seed in an iridescent flower pot filled with rich soil she gathered from the meadow.
She placed the flower pot in her kitchen window where it would get lots of light,
And it would overlook the splendor of the fields below.
She gave it some water and then sang sweet love songs to the daughter she hoped would arrive.
Every day,
Without fail,
The woman checked on her seed,
Gave it water,
Turned it to catch the best light,
And sang songs of her love.
And sure enough,
A delicate and very unusual plant began to grow.
It stretched for the sun and even seemed to lean toward the woman whenever she sang to it.
A beautiful flower grew from the top like a long oval with overlapping petals of all sorts of colors that wrapped around to look like cupping hands.
One morning,
After singing songs of her love,
The woman was so taken with the beauty and unique petals of the flower that she kissed it.
No sooner had her lips touched the petals than the flower opened,
Revealing a tiny little girl curled up inside.
She had long flowing hair,
Bright,
Clever eyes,
And a smile so joyful that the woman almost cried.
She gently picked up the tiny girl and cradled her in her hands.
Why,
She wasn't any bigger than the woman's thumb.
I will call you Thumbelina,
My most precious daughter,
And I will love and protect you for all of my days,
Said the woman.
Thumbelina looked up at her and smiled.
I'm glad you are my mother.
I heard your sweet singing in my dreams.
From then on,
They lived their days happily.
Thumbelina slept in a walnut shell with rose petals as her blanket and fluffy yellow dandelions as her mattress.
She would look out over the fields of flowers and play by making a little boat of poplar leaves and rowing herself back and forth in a bowl of water using daisy stems as her oars.
As she grew older and more confident,
She asked her mother if she could venture out among the flowers.
Though her mother was a bit worried because she was so small,
She agreed.
They braided a long rope using maiden grass and weaved together to form a ladder so she could climb down from the kitchen windowsill in the morning after breakfast and climb back up in the evening as the sun began to set in time for dinner.
Thumbelina's mother also gave her some special berries.
She told Thumbelina,
If you ever need help or get lost,
Give a mockingbird some of these delicious berries and ask it to call out to me.
I will always be listening and will come to you if I ever hear the call of the mockingbird.
Thumbelina loved her adventures among the flowers.
Each flower was different and had unique shapes and colors and was equally magnificent.
She met all sorts of insects and creatures who taught her many things about life in the meadow.
She sang her thanks to each new friend she made and soon she felt right at home.
Every evening when she made it safely home to the ladder,
She'd feed the mockingbirds the special berries her mother had given her.
Then she'd scramble up the ladder to tell her mother about all the adventures she had while they sat together eating dinner and watching the sunset.
One day as Thumbelina was swinging herself through the air by holding onto the stems of some tall gladiolas,
A toad approached her.
Hello Thumbelina.
Well hello there toad.
Thumbelina replied as she plopped down on an orange marigold.
I am wondering if you could help me.
My son is very sad and I've heard your lovely voice.
Would you come to our house by the stream and sing to him?
I am sure it would cheer him up,
Said the toad.
Thumbelina wanted to help the toad's son.
She didn't want anyone to be sad but she had never ventured as far as the stream before.
She wondered if she should ask her mother if it was okay first.
How far away is it from here?
Thumbelina asked.
It's not far at all.
You'll be back to swinging among the marigolds in no time,
Reassured the toad.
I have some extra sweet nectar you can bring back to your mother as a way to thank you for your kindness too.
Thumbelina liked the idea of surprising her mother with some sweet nectar so she set off with the toad at once.
They chatted here and there as they ventured and Thumbelina was taken with the soft green moss that seemed to grow everywhere as they got closer to the stream.
She wondered if the moss would make a nicer mattress than her dandelions.
Suddenly Thumbelina realized they had been walking a long time and were still not at the stream but the toad kept saying,
Just a little further.
So she continued on.
Finally they made it to the stream.
The toad called out to his son.
My dear boy,
Please come here and listen to the most beautiful singing you have ever heard.
As they waited for the sad son to appear,
The toad told Thumbelina how the thick lily pads could hold her up in the water and she could float.
The moment Thumbelina stepped on the lily pad to try for herself,
The toad pushed her down,
Broke the stalk and shoved her into the circling current.
Thumbelina found herself floating around and around deep in the middle of the stream with no way to get off or paddle herself.
She had never learned to swim.
What are you doing toad?
Thumbelina demanded.
I am trapping you on the stream.
I want your beautiful voice to be only mine.
You intend to keep me here?
Thumbelina couldn't believe the treachery.
I do,
But don't worry.
This stream will be a good home and you will learn to be happy living here.
The toad's plan would not do for Thumbelina.
She was sorry she trusted the toad and that she didn't tell her mother where she was going.
And she was angry the toad used her trustful nature to trick her and lie to her.
There was no sad sun.
So she began to devise a plan to escape.
She pretended to accept her fate and began to sing.
The toad was so enchanted that he sat at the edge of the stream to listen and didn't move.
After some time when the sun had set,
She changed her song to a lullaby and watched as the toad's eyes grew heavy and began to close and his breathing became deep and steady.
Slowly,
Gradually,
She altered her voice to sound more and more like the gently bubbling water of the stream until she knew the toad was fast asleep.
She tried reaching over the side of the lily pad to paddle with her hands,
But when she got close to the edges,
She felt sure she might slip right off or tip into the water.
She looked around to see what else she might be able to do,
But it was dark and she didn't know much about life on the water.
A cool breeze picked up and carried her hair flying into the night.
At the same time,
A large broad leaf fluttered down from a tree above and Thumbelina managed to grab it.
She held it up against the wind with both hands like a sail and the breeze was just strong enough to start pushing her down the stream and out of the circling current.
By turning the leaf slightly to one side or the other,
She could steer herself to avoid the rocks and branches that blocked her way.
As soon as she was sure she was very far away from the toad,
She steered herself to the edge of the stream and scrambled onto the black and pearl pebbles along the shoreline.
Thumbelina was relieved to have escaped from the toad,
But now she had to find her way back home.
She looked around for her mockingbird friends,
But did not see them anywhere.
She had watched many times how the sun moves across the sky,
So Thumbelina felt she could figure out which direction to start walking once the sun came up,
But that meant she would have to spend the night in the forest.
As she began to dig herself a little bed among some tree roots,
A large beetle swooped down and picked her up by the shoulders and carried her up to a tall tree branch above.
Look what I found!
Yelled the beetle to its friends.
Several beetles crawled along the bark of the tree to take a look at Thumbelina.
They said things to her like,
What are you?
You have no wings and only two legs.
You don't look like you can do anything.
We don't like you.
Thumbelina looked back at them and said,
Well,
If you don't like me,
Why did you drag me to your tree?
I don't want to be here either.
And as for my legs,
Look what they can do.
And with that,
Thumbelina leapt off the tree branch and expertly grabbed onto the next leaf below her,
Swinging down and down from leaf to leaf until she landed with style on the ground below.
It was getting cold,
So Thumbelina dug her hole a little deeper and pulled some of the dry moss off the tree roots next to her.
She fashioned a soft mattress and blanket by surrounding herself with the moss and fell asleep.
The next morning when she awoke to the brilliant streaming light of the warming sun,
She was ready to get back on her way home.
She saw the sun was coming up on her right side,
So she started walking along,
Always tracking where the sun was as it moved across the sky and making sure her path was straight.
She felt confident she was getting closer to home when she came upon a little mouse and a mole.
Hello,
Child,
Said the mouse.
Would you like to join us for some soup?
The soup did smell lovely and Thumbelina was getting hungry for lunch,
So she stopped and ate with the mouse and the mole.
Thank you for sharing your meal with me,
Thumbelina smiled at them.
Let me sing you a song while we eat.
As Thumbelina sang,
The mouse and the mole couldn't believe their ears.
I have never heard such sounds,
Said the mole.
May I come with you on your journey so that I may listen some more?
Thumbelina was anxious to continue on her way,
But she thought it might be nice to have some company.
As they finished their soup and said farewell to the mouse,
The mole scampered ahead to look out for any foxes that might be hiding and Thumbelina sang her songs just as her mother had sung life into her.
After a short time,
They came upon a little swallow lying with its wings tucked underneath itself with ruffled feathers and its little legs sticking up toward the sky.
Because the mole was in front,
He saw the bird first.
He looked at it and kicked it away,
Saying,
Look at this silly bird.
Probably didn't have enough sense to fly south for the warmer weather.
Get out of our way.
The swallow just rolled away and didn't move.
Thumbelina loved all creatures and she was very distressed at the way the mole treated the poor bird.
She ran to it,
Knelt by its side and began petting it.
The mole complained.
Why are you wasting your time with that despicable creature?
Come,
Let's continue on and keep singing to me.
I want you to sing for my whole family and live with me under the ground.
Thumbelina was thankful the mole had shared his lunch with her,
But she didn't like the fact that he was unkind to the bird and she did not want to live with him below the earth.
I'm sorry,
Mole,
But I can't sing anymore.
The way you treated this bird has dried my songs all up.
I'm going to stay here.
I suggest you go back home.
Thank you for sharing your soup,
But I am done with your company.
The mole left,
Grumbling disappointedly.
Thumbelina turned her attention back to the swallow.
She gently stroked its feathers and breathed warm breath into its beak.
Poor little bird.
She must have gotten so cold last night.
Thumbelina began to stomp on the meadow grass surrounding the bird's body,
Pushing it to the ground,
Allowing the bright sun to shine down with its radiant heat.
After a few moments,
She heard the thump,
Thump,
Thump of the bird's heart.
It started to wriggle its feet,
Open its eyes,
Roll over and stand up.
Thumbelina was ecstatic.
The swallow was alive.
The swallow said,
Thank you,
My dear girl.
You have warmed me and saved me.
How can I ever thank you?
Thumbelina asked,
Do you know the family of mockingbirds that live in the golden tree with the red leaves?
I do,
Replied the swallow.
Did you fly me to their home?
Thumbelina wondered.
Of course,
Just climb on my back and tuck your hands and feet under my feathers to hold yourself steady.
Thumbelina did as the swallow instructed.
And together,
They rose into the sky and flew through the golden sunlit treetops.
When they arrived at the home of the mockingbirds,
The swallow set her down carefully and said,
Goodbye,
And thank you again for saving me.
Thumbelina hugged the swallow before it flew away.
Thumbelina called to her mockingbird friends,
And right away one of them flew down to her.
Thumbelina opened her empty pockets.
My friend,
I have read out of the berries that you love so much,
But could you please call for my mother?
I have gotten a bit lost and she told me she would find me if she ever heard your call.
I will,
Dear friend,
Replied the mockingbird.
You have shown me and my family such kindness with your gifts of berries in the past.
And the mockingbird let out such a call that Thumbelina hoped surely her mother would hear.
After a few minutes,
Thumbelina thought she could hear a song her mother used to sing to her,
Faintly in the distance.
It got louder until she recognized her mother's sweet voice.
Thumbelina raised her own voice until they were singing in unison,
The two voices becoming even more lovely with their harmony.
Soon,
Thumbelina and her mother had found each other,
And her mother scooped her up in her hands and cradled the girl with such tenderness and love.
I was very scared when you did not come home last night,
Thumbelina.
I have been looking for you and am so glad you remembered the call of the mockingbird.
Thumbelina was so thankful to be back with her mother.
I trusted the toad who tricked me,
Mother,
Because I wanted to surprise you with some extra sweet nectar that he promised me.
But I will be more careful and will never leave with a stranger without talking to you about it first.
Oh,
And can you teach me to swim?
And together,
Mother and daughter made their way home.
Thumbelina could smell the sweet flowers of her field,
And it looked to her like all the petals were dancing at her return.
The end.
Thank you for listening,
Sweet souls.
I hope you enjoyed how Thumbelina used her mind,
Her courage,
And strength to empower herself.
And also how she did not let her small size hold her back from enjoying her life adventure.
And this is what I wish for you all.
Because you matter.
Your feelings and experience are important.
And you deserve to live your own life adventure to the fullest.
Good night.
Good night.
Good night.
Good night.
