Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Classical stories of the world > August

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illustrator　myi　　　blog　sorairoiro

Thumbelina
(Andersen's Fairy Tales)


→　Full version(Japanese)　「Thumbelina」

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English

投稿者　「かみしばいサーカス」　　かみしばいサーカス

※本作品は、読者からの投稿作品です。　投稿希望は、メールをお送りください。→連絡先

投稿者　「久瑠璃桜華」　　久瑠璃桜華

※本作品は、読者からの投稿作品です。　投稿希望は、メールをお送りください。→連絡先

投稿者　「かみしばいサーカス」　　かみしばいサーカス

　Once upon a time, a lonely woman went to a witch and made a wish.
“I have no kids. I would really like to have a cute girl even if she is so tiny.”

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　Then the witch gave her a grain of seed.
“Grow this seed and your dream will come true.”

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　Soon after the woman planted the seed, it came out and became budded.
“What a beautiful bud this is!”
　She kissed it with joy then it popped.
　Oh my goodness!
　In the middle of the bud, a tiny girl was sitting.

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　The woman kissed the tiny girl.

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“Nice to meet you. Your name is Thumbelina.”
　The woman cherished her tiny Thumbelina.

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　Thumbelina swam in the pool made of a dish, rowed a boat made of a leaf, singing in a beautiful voice.

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　At night, she slept in the bed made of a hull of walnut.
　Her blanket was made of a flower petal.

　One night.

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　A toad mom found Thumbelina sleeping.

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“How pretty! She would be good for my son.” Croakily.
　The toad mom took Thumbelina away and laid her on a lily pad.

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“Hi, girl. Good morning.
　From now, you will be my daughter-in-law.
　Well, here in this pond is your home.
　Nice place.
　I will bring my son, so stay here.” Croakily.

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　The toad mom said so and went to somewhere away.
　Thumbelina who was left alone began to cry.

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“What? I hate marrying with a toad! I also hate the muddy pond!”
　Then, fish hearing her voice gathered up to her.

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“She is supposed to marry with the toad! That sounds pitiable.”
“How about letting her escape?”

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　Then they bit off the cane of her water lily.
“Thank you!”
　Being cut off the stem, her lily pad floated along the stream of water.
　Thumbelina asked a butterfly flying through the sky to pull her boat.

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　Thanks to the butterfly, her boat went through at great speed.
　At that time, a gold beetle found Thumbelina.

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“Oh, baby. I found an unfamiliar bug.”

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　The gold beetle caught Thumbelina and took her deep in the forest.

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　That made Thumbelina live alone deep in the forest.
　Thumbelina ate flower nectar, drank a water drop on leaves, and slept wrapped in a leaf.

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　After a while, winter had come and snows came down from the sky.
“How cold it is!”

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　While walking trembling in the cold, she found a wild rat’s house.
“Hello, hello? I’m suffering from coldness. Would you please let me inside?”
　Hearing her voice, Ms. wild rat came out and said.

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“Oh, my! Poor girl. Come on, it's warm inside and we have a lot of food. Don’t worry. You should stay here as long as you can.”

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　In this way, Thumbelina lived with Ms. wild rat.

　Well, a rich mole lived further down the ground of the wild rat’s house.
“How pretty she is.”

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　The mole loved her and came to see her every day.

　One day, Thumbelina found an injured swallow laying down.

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　Thumbelina kindly took care of the swallow every day.

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“I hope you will be fine and sing songs again. I love your songs.”
　In spring, the swallow had recovered, become so fine, and told Thumbelina.
“Thanks to you, I can fly again. Why don’t you go to a tropical island with me? It is a nice place!”

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“Thank you. But I will not.”
“Why?”
“Of course, if I would go with you, Ms. wild rat who took care of me would feel lonely.”
“See… Good bye”

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　The swallow thanked Thumbelina and went flew to the south.

　In summer, Ms. wild rat said to Thumbelina.
“Dear Thumbelina, good news!
　Well, you know, the rich mole would like to marry you!
　Congratulations! You are his love!
　In autumn, you will marry him!
　Thumbelina was surprised.

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　She didn’t dislike him. Though, if once she would marry him, she would have to live in the underground forever.
　He hated both the sun and flowers.

　On the end of the summer, Thumbelina said in the field.

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“Good bye, dear sun.
　Good bye, flowers.
　I will go down to the underground and never see you again.
　She felt sad and began to cry.

　At the moment, she heard a familiar voice from the sky.
　My dear Thumbelina, I came here to pick you up.

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　The swallow who Thumbelina rescued at that time came back flying to her.
“I heard that the mole would like to marry you. Again, why don’t you come with me?”
“See, I will.”

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　The swallow flew over the sky with Thumbelina on his back.

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　They flew to the south days and days and at last got to the flower land.
　The swallow put Thumbelina down on a flower.

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　A similar-sized boy as Thumbelina was standing on the flower.

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“Welcome, pretty girl!”
　He was the prince of the flower land.
“Here you are.”
　He put wings on the back of Thumbelina.

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　After that, Thumbelina married the prince of the flower land.
　They flew over flowers to flowers and lived happily forever.

The End

→　Full version(Japanese)　「Thumbelina」

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