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Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................. 2
Thumbelina, Chapter 1: A Very Special Gift ......................................................4(8
Thumbelina, Chapter 2: Thumbelina’s New Home ............................................6(8
Thumbelina, Chapter 3: In the Swamp with the Burps .......................................... 8
Thumbelina, Chapter 4: Escape from the Swamp .............................................10(8
Thumbelina, Chapter 5: Up and Away ................................................................ 11
Thumbelina, Chapter 6: All Alone ...................................................................... 13
Thumbelina, Chapter 7: Finding New Friends ..................................................... 16
Thumbelina, Chapter 8: Meeting Mrs. Gray ........................................................ 18
Thumbelina, Chapter 9: Mrs. Gray’s Plans .......................................................... 20
Thumbelina, Chapter 10: Getting Ready for a Wedding ........................................ 22
Thumbelina, Chapter 11: Seeing an Old Friend ..................................................... 24
Thumbelina, Chapter 12: A Heart Still Beats ........................................................ 26
Thumbelina, Chapter 13: Pete’s Story ................................................................... 28
Thumbelina, Chapter 14: The Great Escape .......................................................... 30
Thumbelina, Chapter 15: Coming Home ............................................................... 32
Thumbelina, Chapter 16: Seeing the World ........................................................... 34
The characters....................................................................................................... 35

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Introduction

Adapted from the Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. When a
tiny girl named Thumbelina gets kidnapped from her home by a toad,
many adventures follow. Will her big heart help tiny Thumbelina
through times of trouble?

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Thumbelina, Chapter 1: A Very Special Gift

A long time ago, there lived a kind woman. She loved to keep busy in
the garden. Her name was Mrs. Marigold, and she lived a simple life.
She had only one wish.
"I wish I had a child," she sighed.
One morning she awoke very early. She looked out her window and
noticed something strange.
"Why are my flowers moving like that?" she said. She went outside to
have a better look.
"Oh my, what is this?" she gasped.
A tiny woman with a basket stood among the daisies. She had bright
red cheeks and small wings. Suddenly she looked up and saw Mrs.
Marigold staring down at her.
"Don't step on me!" she shouted in a high voice. "I'm not a bug!"
"Are you a fairy?" asked Mrs. Marigold.
"Of course," she replied, pointing to her wings. "I'm a garden fairy."
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm helping you with your garden," the fairy said. "But I'm leaving
now. I've stayed too long already."
"Wait, may I make a wish?" Mrs. Marigold asked excitedly.
The fairy rolled her eyes. "I'm not a genie," she snapped. Then the
fairy noticed Mrs. Marigold's sad face. "All right, I'll see what I can do.
But you must promise not to tell anyone about me."
Mrs. Marigold agreed and then said, "I want a child."
The fairy thought a moment. Then she took something out of her
basket.
"This is a special seed," she explained. "Plant it in a pot. Put the pot in
the window. Don't water it. It just needs lots of sunshine. Wait a few
days."
Mrs. Marigold stared at the seed. She looked up and asked, "Then
what?"
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 But the fairy was gone.
Mrs. Marigold took the seed inside and did exactly as she was told.
The seed grew very fast. Soon it became a red tulip bud. On the third
morning, Mrs. Marigold noticed the tulip bud moving.
"Something is happening," she said quietly.
Mrs. Marigold bent down and kissed the bud. At that moment, the
petals opened one by one. Amazed, Mrs. Marigold stared at the flower.
"At last, my wish has come true!" she cried.
Inside the flower was a tiny girl. Her hair was the color of sunshine.
Her eyes were blue like the sea.
"Where am I?" said the girl. She had the loveliest voice.
"You are home," said Mrs. Marigold. "I am your mother."
Mrs. Marigold held out her hand. The little girl jumped into her palm.
"Hello, Mother," said the little girl. "What's my name?"
The girl was only the size of Mrs. Marigold's thumb. Wiping a tear
from her eye, Mrs. Marigold said, "Your name is Thumbelina."

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Thumbelina, Chapter 2: Thumbelina’s New Home

Mrs. Marigold took very good care of Thumbelina.

"You are tiny, so I must keep my eye on you," said Mrs. Marigold.
Every morning she took Thumbelina into the garden. Thumbelina
liked to sit next to her mother.
"Give me a rose seed, dear," Mrs. Marigold said one day.
"I'm strong, Mother," Thumbelina replied. "I can pass you three."
Gardening took much longer with her daughter helping. But Mrs.
Marigold didn't care. She was happy to have Thumbelina.
Her daughter also liked to help Mrs. Marigold cook.
"Thumbelina, pass me the salt," Mrs. Marigold said one day as she
made dinner.
"This saltshaker is heavy," gasped Thumbelina. "But I can do it!"
Thumbelina pushed the saltshaker to Mrs. Marigold. On hot days,
Thumbelina loved playing in the water. One afternoon Mrs. Marigold
filled a bowl with water. Then she set the bowl on the windowsill. Soon
Thumbelina was floating in an acorn shell, singing happily.
A toad was hopping along outside, and it stopped under Mrs.
Marigold's open window. "What's that beautiful sound?" the toad, Mrs.
Burp, said to herself. "It's coming from that window."
So Mrs. Burp jumped onto a flowerbox under the window. She
peeked around a flower and looked up.
"Why, it's a tiny girl with an angel's voice," said the toad. "She's very
pretty too."
Mrs. Burp returned to the flowerbox many times. She wanted
Thumbelina to marry her son.
Thumbelina's bed was half a walnut shell. Every night Mrs. Marigold
filled the shell with flower petals for Thumbelina's blanket.
"What kind of blanket would you like tonight, dear?" Mrs. Marigold
always asked.
"Tulips, please," Thumbelina always replied. "They're my favorite."

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 One night Thumbelina asked, "Mother, may I sleep near the window
tonight?"
"Why, my sweet daughter?" said her mother.
"I want to see the stars."
"Of course," replied Mrs. Marigold.
She put Thumbelina's bed on the sill of the open window.
"You make me so happy, darling," her mother said as she tucked her
in. "Good night."
"Mother, you make me happy too," said Thumbelina. "Good night."
Mrs. Burp was hiding in the flowerbox. She waited until the lights
went out.
"Now's my chance," croaked Mrs. Burp. She jumped onto the
windowsill, grabbed Thumbelina, and jumped out again.
"Mother! Mother!" cried Thumbelina. But it was too late.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 3: In the Swamp with the Burps

Mrs. Burp lived in an old, smelly swamp. She took Thumbelina to a lily
pad in a stream nearby.
"This is your new home," said the toad.
"I don’t like it here," said Thumbelina.
"Well too bad," said Mrs. Burp. "You’re not going anywhere." Mrs.
Burp disappeared into the darkness.
Thumbelina was scared. Water was all around her, and there was no
way to escape.
"I miss my mother," she whispered, then cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Mrs. Burp was up early. She woke up her son.
"Croaky! Let’s go meet your bride," she said excitedly. "Be on your
best behavior."
Croaky blinked slowly. "Okay, Momma."
Thumbelina was just waking up.
"What a terrible dream!" she said. Then she opened her eyes. The two
toads were staring at her.
Thumbelina stared back. Croaky was even bigger than his mother.
"It wasn’t a dream," the tiny girl said sadly.
"This is Croaky, your future husband," Mrs. Burp said to her.
"She’s pretty, Momma," Croaky said. Suddenly his eyes moved. A
small fly flew by. Croaky quickly stuck out a sticky tongue and ate the
fly.
"Ugh!" said Thumbelina.
"Now get to know each other," said Mrs. Burp. "I’ll be getting ready
for your wedding." She hopped away.
"Please take me home," begged Thumbelina.
Croaky shook his head. "Momma would be angry. And you don’t
want to make Momma angry."
"But I don’t want to marry you," said Thumbelina.

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 Croaky let out a loud burp. The sound made Thumbelina hate him
more.
"I’ll make a great husband. I can catch any kind of bug," he boasted.
"I’ll show you."
Just then a beautiful butterfly flew by.
"Watch me!" Croaky jumped into the water, splashing Thumbelina.
He jumped from lily pad to lily pad, chasing the butterfly.
Thumbelina had to do something.
"Croaky!" she yelled loudly. "Leave that butterfly alone, you big
bully!"
Croaky stopped and burst into tears. "I’m going to tell Momma what
you said!" he yelled and hopped away.
Thumbelina watched the butterfly fly away safely.
"I’ve got to escape too!" she cried.
"Maybe we can help," a voice said.
"Who said that?" Thumbelina looked around. She saw no one.
"Down here," said the voice.
Thumbelina looked down at the water. She saw a school of fish. One
of them was looking right at her.
"Croaky thinks it’s fun to scare others," said the fish.
"I can see that," said Thumbelina.
"Don’t worry," said the fish. "We’ll help you escape."

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Thumbelina, Chapter 4: Escape from the Swamp

"The stem of this lily pad is underwater," said the fish. "We’ll chew
through it. The lily pad will float away and you can escape." All the fish
dived below and began chewing.
Thumbelina heard the toads coming back.
"No one is going to call my son names!" Mrs. Burp yelled. "Come on,
Croaky!"
"I’m coming, Momma," Croaky shouted behind her.
"Please hurry," Thumbelina said to the fish.
The toads got closer.
Suddenly the lily pad began to float away.
"Look!" yelled Mrs. Burp. "She’s getting away!"
"Come back here," Croaky shouted at Thumbelina.
"We must do something," the fish said to each other.
Suddenly Croaky began to giggle. "Hey, stop that!" he laughed. The
fish had surrounded the Burps and started to tickle them with their fins.
"Go away," laughed Mrs. Burp. But the fish kept tickling.
Thumbelina’s lily pad floated down the stream.
"Thank you, my fish friends," Thumbelina called.
She enjoyed the sights around her as the lily pad moved faster.
"I’m so glad to be free," Thumbelina said. "Look at all the trees and
flowers!"
Then Thumbelina’s lily pad suddenly stopped.
"Oh no, I’m stuck on a rock," she cried. "Now what am I going to
do?"
A bird above her began to sing, and Thumbelina looked up. "I wish I
had wings like that bird. I could fly off this lily pad."
The bird had bright blue feathers and a beautiful voice.
"What are you doing here?"asked the bird.
"It’s a long story. Anyway, I’m stuck."
"I’ll help you," the bird said. "Where are you going?"
Thumbelina paused and then answered, "To see the world!"
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 "I’m Pete," said the bird. "Can I go with you?"
"I’m Thumbelina," she said happily. "And I’d love you to come with
me."
Pete looked for a way to help her. Then he flew away. A few seconds
later, he came back with a long piece of string.
"Tie this to the lily pad," he said. Thumbelina did so. "And tie the
other end to my leg."
"Now what?" she said.
"Hang on, Thumbelina!" Pete took off into the air.
The lily pad became a flying carpet. It lifted Thumbelina just above
the water.
"Pete! I’m flying!" she shouted. "This is so much fun!" She laughed
as her hair blew in the wind.
Thumbelina looked at the fish in the water. They waved good-bye
with their fins.
"We’re off to the see the world!" her new friend called out.
Thumbelina closed her eyes. The wind felt cool against her cheek.
"I feel so free," she cried.
Then suddenly something grabbed Thumbelina.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 5: Up and Away

Thumbelina was dizzy. She was spinning around and around. The world
was upside-down. Pete was gone.
Thumbelina screamed in surprise.
A big brown bug named Buzz had grabbed her.
"I can’t believe my luck," said Buzz. "I was just on my way home.
My sisters worry when I come home late." Two of his six legs were
around Thumbelina’s waist.
"Oh no," whispered Thumbelina.
"Wow, this thing is so pretty!" said Buzz. "I’ll bet that bird was going
to eat it. Birds are nasty."
"He sure does talk a lot," Thumbelina said quietly to herself.
Finally Buzz landed on a branch high in a tree.
"I’m hungry," said Buzz, staring at Thumbelina with his big black
eyes. "Let’s see what I can find to eat." Buzz’s wings popped out. Then
he buzzed away noisily.
"Here’s my chance to escape," Thumbelina said. She looked down. It
was too far to jump. Suddenly she heard loud buzzing noises.
Thumbelina covered her ears.
Two big bugs landed on the branch. They looked just like Buzz.
"Where’s Buzz?" asked one.
"Who cares?" said the other. "What’s that thing doing in our tree?"
They moved closer to Thumbelina and stared.
Just then Buzz came back. He was chewing on an oak leaf.
"Buzzilla! Buzzona! I’m back!" said Buzz.
"Where have you been?" asked Buzzona.
"Did you bring us any dinner?" asked Buzzilla.
"And what is this?" they asked together. They pointed at Thumbelina.
"Isn’t it pretty?" Buzz said proudly. "I found it."
Buzzilla and Buzzona stared at Thumbelina.
"It doesn’t have wings," sniffed Buzzona. "How can it fly?"

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 "It doesn’t have big eyes," frowned Buzzilla. "How can it see well?"
Suddenly unsure, Buzz looked at Thumbelina again.
"But it’s pretty," he said.
His sisters laughed.
"It has a tiny head," said one.
"And it only has two legs," said the other.
"Yes, I see what you mean," said Buzz, nodding.
"Buzz, forget about that thing," said Buzzona. "You can’t keep it."
"Let’s go and get something to eat," said Buzzilla. "I’m hungry."
Buzz’s sisters flew off.
"Excuse me." Thumbelina cleared her throat and spoke.
"It can talk!" cried Buzz, surprised.
Thumbelina sighed loudly.
"Yes, I can. And you’ve been very rude. You can’t keep me, you
know."
"I know. Good-bye, then," said Buzz as he started to fly off.
"Wait!" cried Thumbelina. "You can’t just leave me here."
Buzz shrugged and flew Thumbelina to the ground. He put her on a
daisy. Then he buzzed away.
Thumbelina was all alone.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 6: All Alone

Thumbelina felt like crying. She was scared, hungry, and lonely.
"I will not cry," she said aloud. "At least I am free. No one is trying to
catch me." She felt better.
Thumbelina wandered for many days. It was not easy to survive in the
forest. Thumbelina used a leaf as an umbrella when it rained. At night
she slept on soft moss in a tree root. Every morning, Thumbelina washed
her face with dew from the grass. Then she’d climb a flower and eat a
petal or two.
"I’m tired of eating flowers every day," she said. She was nibbling on
a lily.
"Tired of flowers?" said a red bug with black dots.
"Oh, I’m sorry," said Thumbelina. "I didn’t see you. I’ll go to another
flower."
"I’m a ladybug. I don’t eat flowers," said the bug. "I eat tiny insects."
"Don’t eat me! I’m not an insect. I’m Thumbelina."
"And my name is Ladybird," laughed the ladybug. "Would you like
these insects? They’re very good."
"No, thank you," Thumbelina said quickly.
"How about some blueberries?" said Ladybird, smiling. "I can show
you where they grow. Follow me."
Thumbelina clapped her hands and said, "That sounds wonderful.
Thank you!"
Suddenly the ladybug opened her wings to fly. The lily started to
move back and forth. Thumbelina lost her balance and fell off the flower.
"Hey!" She landed on a sand hill and slid down a dark tunnel.
"Enemy alert!" someone shouted.
Thumbelina was inside an anthill. Many ants were lined up like
soldiers.
A big ant pointed at her. "Get out, stranger!"
"I . . . what happened was …," Thumbelina stammered.

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 "We must protect our queen. Forward march!" the ant shouted.
"Please, it’s all a mistake. I’ll get out," Thumbelina cried. She tried to
climb back up the tunnel.
"This sand is so slippery!" she said, frustrated.
"Capture the enemy!" shouted the ants.
Finally Thumbelina climbed up and out. She glanced behind her. It
looked like a black wave was coming toward her.
"What am I going to do?" she cried.
"Keep marching!" shouted the big ant to the others.
Thumbelina turned and ran as fast as she could.
"There are so many of them!" she screamed, afraid to look behind her
again.
Just then Thumbelina saw a small hole in a tree. She ran inside and
hid herself with a fallen leaf.
"Maybe they won’t find me here," she gasped.
The ants ran around the tree and kept going. Their voices faded. At
last Thumbelina could not hear them anymore.
Thumbelina was safe for now.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 7: Finding New Friends

Summer passed quickly. The leaves started to fall from the trees.
Thumbelina was tired and her clothes were torn.
Thumbelina noticed some nuts on the ground. She picked up a small
one.
"Hey, that’s mine!" yelled a squirrel.
"I found it first," she said stubbornly.
"Okay, I guess you’re getting ready for the winter too," replied the
squirrel.
"Winter?" said Thumbelina. "What’s that?"
Surprised, the squirrel shook her tail.
"Winter is when it gets cold, silly," said the squirrel. "Food is hard to
find. You have to gather and store food. That’s what I’m doing."
The squirrel grabbed another nut and quickly ran up a tree.
The days did get colder. And food was hard to find. One day, hungry
and tired, Thumbelina fell asleep. She had a dream she was in a warm
bed. Beautiful voices were singing. Thumbelina woke up. She wasn’t
dreaming.
"Where am I?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"You’re safe, dear," said a bird.
Thumbelina sat up. She was inside a bird’s nest.
"We thought you needed help. So we brought you to our house," said
the bird. "I’m Maggie."
"I heard something lovely," Thumbelina said after introducing herself.
"We were singing," said the other bird. "My name is Kris."
"I haven’t sung in a long time," said Thumbelina. "I used to sing
when I was happy."
"Well, not all songs are happy ones," said Maggie.
"What do you mean?" asked Thumbelina.
Kris and Maggie looked at each other.
"All songs are different," said Kris. "Listen to this one."

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 His song was short and almost angry.
"You sounded upset," said Thumbelina.
Kris nodded. "That was an angry song."
"Can you guess this one?" asked Maggie. Her song was slow and
quiet.
"No, I can’t," said Thumbelina. "What kind of song is that?"
"I sing that song when I need to solve a problem," said Maggie.
"Can you teach me some songs?" asked Thumbelina.
"Of course," said Maggie.
They taught Thumbelina many kinds of bird songs. Each song was
special. But one kind of song was a secret language. These songs were
talking songs, and Thumbelina learned these too.
Thumbelina stayed with her friends Kris and Maggie. The birds
brought her food and kept her warm. But soon the birds had to leave.
"Winter is almost here," said Maggie. "It’s time for us to fly south."
"I wish I had wings," Thumbelina said sadly. "Then I could fly away
with you."
The birds put her on the ground and sang a song of good-bye.
"Good-bye, Thumbelina," they said. "You'll find your way home!"
"Good-bye, my friends," she replied. Kris and Maggie flew off.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 8: Meeting Mrs. Gray

Winter arrived. All the flowers had died and the wind blew cold.
Thumbelina wore a coat made of leaves until it fell apart. She could not
keep herself warm and she had no food.
"Where is everybody?" Thumbelina asked out loud. "Does everyone
have a home but me?"
One morning Thumbelina woke up in a dried-up corn field. Big
snowflakes fell around her.
"I need to find shelter," she said, looking in every direction.
Just then Thumbelina saw a dark hole by a corn husk.
"That looks like a good place to sleep," she said. "I’ll just curl up
inside for a while."
Thumbelina walked over to the hole and peeked in.
"Why, there’s a door here!" she exclaimed. As she started to knock,
the door opened.
"Goodness me!" a mouse cried. "You look half frozen. Come inside at
once."
Thankfully, Thumbelina took one step forward.
"Wait! Wipe your feet first," said the mouse. She pointed to a mat on
the floor.
When Thumbelina finally got inside, the house was warm and cozy. It
was very clean too.
"I’m Thumbelina," she said. "You have a lovely home."
"I know. I’m Mrs. Gray. Now wait here. I’ll bring you something to
eat."
Thumbelina sat on a chair and fell asleep right away. When she woke
up, Mrs. Gray fed her. Then Thumbelina fell asleep again. She was very
weak.
"Poor little thing," said Mrs. Gray. "I’ll take good care of you."
And she did. Soon Thumbelina was feeling stronger.
"How can I thank you?" she asked Mrs. Gray one day.

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 Mrs. Gray was polishing her furniture. She thought for a minute.
"Well, I’m old," she said finally. "If you wish to stay, you must help
me."
From that day on, Mrs. Gray taught Thumbelina many things.
"Don’t hold your needle like that," Mrs. Gray said as she showed
Thumbelina how to sew.
"Don’t let the turnips boil too long," Mrs. Gray said as she taught
Thumbelina how to cook.
Thumbelina was a fast learner. Everything Mrs. Gray said,
Thumbelina did.
One day Mrs. Gray watched Thumbelina sewing.
"She’s doing it just the way I taught her," Mrs. Gray said to herself
proudly.
Then, for the first time, Thumbelina began to sing.
"What a lovely voice she has!" Mrs. Gray thought. She suddenly had
an idea. It was a great idea.
"Yes, Thumbelina would be perfect," she said. "She would be a
perfect bride for Mr. Rufus."

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Thumbelina, Chapter 9: Mrs. Gray’s Plans

One morning Thumbelina was doing her chores.

"Sweep the floor slowly," Mrs. Gray corrected. "Or you’ll make too
much dust." Then Mrs. Gray looked up at the clock on the wall. She
smiled to herself in a strange way.
Suddenly there was a short knock at the back door.
"It’s Mr. Rufus!" exclaimed Mrs. Gray as she opened the door.
Mr. Rufus was a large, brown mole. Like most moles, Mr. Rufus
could not see very well. So he wore very thick glasses. He walked into
the room holding a cane.
"Good day, Mrs. Gray," he said in a deep voice. "You were kind to
invite me for tea."
Mrs. Gray laughed in an unusually high voice. "Oh, Mr. Rufus, we
are delighted that you could come. This is Thumbelina."
"Mrs. Gray is acting strangely," thought Thumbelina.
"I’ll get the tea," said Mrs. Gray in a sweet voice. "Thumbelina will
stay here and chat with you, Mr. Rufus."
As she was leaving, Mrs. Gray whispered to Thumbelina, "Mr. Rufus
is a fine gentleman. And he is very rich. Be kind to him."
Thumbelina sat next to Mr. Rufus. He did not speak.
"I hope winter is almost over," Thumbelina said.
"Winter is never long enough," said Mr. Rufus with a grunt.
"But it’s so cold," said Thumbelina.
"Not where I live," said Mr. Rufus, and he grunted again. "I live in
the deepest hole around here."
"But isn’t that too far underground? You can’t see—," Thumbelina
glanced at his thick glasses. "I mean, you wouldn’t feel the sunshine. Or
hear the birds."
"Bah!" Mr. Rufus waved his hand. "Who needs sunshine? And birds
are horrible. They’re messy. They steal food."
Thumbelina thought about Pete, Kris, and Maggie.

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 "I don’t agree with you, sir," she said. "I have bird friends. They are
very kind. They taught me many songs."
Mr. Rufus turned his head toward Thumbelina.
"Sing one," he said.
"Oh, I couldn’t." Thumbelina blushed.
"Bah! You mean you can’t," the mole said. "I’m not surprised.
Nothing good comes from birds."
"That’s not true," said Thumbelina. "I’ll sing you a song."
Thumbelina began singing softly. Her voice rose sweetly. She was
thinking of how much she missed Mrs. Marigold. Mr. Rufus started to
smile.
"It’s working," Mrs. Gray said, watching from the kitchen.
"Mrs. Gray was right," thought Mr. Rufus. "Thumbelina has the
loveliest voice. Yes, she will make a good wife for me."
Thumbelina was not thinking of the mole or the mouse. Her song was
taking her back home. So she just kept singing.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 10: Getting Ready for a Wedding

Mr. Rufus spoke quietly with Mrs. Gray and then left.
"My plan is working perfectly," Mrs. Gray said, her nose wiggling
happily.
"What plan?" asked Thumbelina.
"Mr. Rufus has agreed to marry you," said Mrs. Gray.
Thumbelina was shocked. "But I don’t want to marry him," she said.
"Don’t be silly," frowned Mrs. Gray. "Mr. Rufus is rich and kind.
You are lucky he wants to marry you."
"But Mrs. Gray—," began Thumbelina.
"Not another word!" the mouse said sharply. "There is so much to
do."
One morning Mrs. Gray brought in a big basket of corn husks.
"Mr. Rufus wants you to weave some mats," said Mrs. Gray. "He has
furry feet, but you do not. And his floors are cold."
Thumbelina stared at her bare feet. She had lost her shoes in the forest
somewhere.
The next day, Mrs. Gray brought in dried hay.
"You need to make some brooms," said Mrs. Gray. "Mr. Rufus’ home
has many rooms. They all need sweeping."
"I don’t care," Thumbelina almost shouted. "He lives underground.
I’ll never see the sunshine again."
"Well then, you’ll need some light," Mrs. Gray said, ignoring
Thumbelina. She went to the closet. "Here’s a lantern," she said. "It will
be dark in your new home. But you will get used to it."
"Why can’t I stay with you?" Thumbelina asked.
Mrs. Gray said sternly, "Plans have been made. It’s too late to change
them now."
"But I won’t be happy," Thumbelina said sadly.
Suddenly she heard a light tapping at the back door. Thumbelina
opened the door.

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 "Wonder Web Weavers at your service," said three black spiders.
They all wore gray shirts with a W on the front. Each W was a different
color.
"Mr. Rufus hired us to make your wedding dress," said the spider
with the gold W.
"How kind of Mr. Rufus!" Mrs. Gray clapped her hands.
The spiders measured and spun almost at the same time.
"We won’t need much lace," said the spider with the red W. "She has
a tiny waist."
"She is a bit thin," agreed the spider with the green W.
The wedding dress seemed to appear before Thumbelina.
As she watched the spiders, tears came into her eyes.
"I need some fresh air," she said quickly.
"Thumbelina!" Mrs. Gray said sternly.
But Thumbelina ran outside. It was cold but sunny.
"I’m tired of everybody telling me what to do," she shouted into the
air. "I don’t want to get married! I don’t want to live underground!"
But nobody heard Thumbelina.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 11: Seeing an Old Friend

The wedding was only a few days away. The dress was made. Mrs. Gray
was busy preparing the food. She had even sent out invitations to her
friends.
Thumbelina had to escape. But it was still very cold outside.
"What am I going to do?" she said to herself.
"Thumbelina, we must leave now." Mrs. Gray took her hand.
"Where are we going?" asked Thumbelina.
Mrs. Gray’s nose wiggled. "Mr. Rufus wants you to see your future
home," she said excitedly. "He’s invited us for tea."
Mr. Rufus was waiting by the back door when the mouse opened it.
"Oh, Mr. Rufus!" said Mrs. Gray, surprised.
"I had to come and get you," he grunted. "There is a small problem."
"What is it?" cried the mouse in alarm.
"The tunnel leading to my home is damaged," Mr. Rufus said. "I will
show you." He turned and walked down the dark tunnel.
"Bring the lantern, Thumbelina," said Mrs. Gray. "And stay close to
me."
They followed Mr. Rufus down the dark tunnel. Thumbelina could
see only Mrs. Gray’s tail ahead of her.
Suddenly Thumbelina saw light up ahead. The tunnel had caved in
from above. A beam of sunshine was shining through the hole. A bird
lay on the tunnel floor. It was not moving.
"What happened?" asked Mrs. Gray.
"This nasty bird crashed into our tunnel," Mr. Rufus said, poking the
bird with his cane.
"Is the bird dead?" asked Mrs. Gray. "What shall we do?"
Thumbelina stepped closer and held the lantern over the bird.
"Oh, it can’t be!" she suddenly cried out.
"It’s dreadful, I know," Mr. Rufus said kindly. "But don’t worry. I’ve
taken care of everything."

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 But the mole didn’t know what really upset Thumbelina. There was a
piece of string tied around the bird’s leg. It was her friend Pete.
"I’ve spoken to Slim," said Mr. Rufus. "He’ll remove the bird in a
few days."
"Slim, the coyote?" said Mrs. Gray.
"A coyote?" repeated Thumbelina.
"Slim will take the body," explained Mr. Rufus. "Then I can fix the
tunnel."
Thumbelina stared at the dead bird.
"My poor friend," she whispered. She began crying.
"Are you okay, my dear?" asked Mrs. Gray.
"No, I’m not," cried Thumbelina. She ran back through the dark
tunnel toward Mrs. Gray’s house.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 12: A Heart Still Beats

Mrs. Gray was angry with Thumbelina. "You were very rude to run
away," she scolded.
"I was upset," said Thumbelina. She could not forget about Pete lying
in the tunnel.
"Over a silly bird?" said Mrs. Gray.
She refused to talk to Thumbelina all day. That night she went to bed
early and left Thumbelina alone.
"Poor Pete," Thumbelina wept. "I can’t leave him lying there as if no
one cares."
Thumbelina grabbed one of Mrs. Gray’s blankets.
"Pete was my friend. He should be covered with something," she
thought. She picked up the lantern and quietly opened the back door. She
walked down the tunnel to Pete.
Thumbelina’s heart hurt when she saw Pete lying there. "I remember
you bringing me this string," she said. Then she untied it from his leg.
Thumbelina covered her friend with the blanket and sat next to him.
She looked up at the hole in the tunnel.
"The stars are beautiful, Pete," she whispered. "But you won’t ever
see them again." Thumbelina started to weep and laid her head on his
chest. She heard a faint sound under Pete’s feathers.
Boom.
Thumbelina listened hard.
Boom.
The sound was getting stronger.
BOOM.
Pete’s heart was still beating.
"He’s alive! Pete!" Thumbelina almost shouted.
"Where am I?" Pete said, slowly opening his eyes. "Is that you,
Thumbelina?"
She could not believe it.

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 "Pete! I’m so glad you’re alive," she cried, hugging him.
"I feel warmer," Pete said.
"Let me help you," said Thumbelina.
She quickly ran back to Mrs. Gray’s and returned with some water.
"What are you doing here, Thumbelina?" Pete asked after drinking
the water.
Thumbelina sighed loudly. "I’m staying with a very kind mouse. But
she wants me to marry Mr. Rufus."
"Who’s that?" asked Pete.
"He’s a mole," replied Thumbelina. "He lives underground. And he
hates sunshine!" She didn’t tell Pete that Mr. Rufus hated birds too.
"That’s horrible!" said Pete. "We must do something."
"First, you need to get better," said Thumbelina.
The next day, Thumbelina spread her wedding dress on the floor. She
filled it with nuts and seeds from Mrs. Gray’s cupboard. Then she pulled
the edges of the dress together. She dragged it to Pete.
"This food will make you well," said Thumbelina.
A few days passed and Pete felt stronger.
"I want to hear what happened to you," said Thumbelina.
Pete nodded. "Let me tell you my story."

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Thumbelina, Chapter 13: Pete’s Story

Pete began his story.

"I remember pulling you on that lily pad. Then suddenly you were
gone. I thought you fell into the water."
"A bug named Buzz grabbed me," Thumbelina explained. "But never
mind. Go on with your story."
"The lily pad was still hanging from my leg," said Pete. "I was
looking for you by the stream. The lily pad got caught between some
stones. And I tried and tried to pull it free. But the lily pad was stuck. I
couldn’t move. I had nothing to eat for a few days. Finally some friends
found me. They pecked the lily pad to pieces. But no one could untie the
string. By then it was time for us to fly south."
"Then why are you still here?" said Thumbelina.
"I couldn’t go. I couldn’t keep up," said Pete. "I was weak, so the
string felt heavy. My friends had to leave me. I was able to keep going
alone for a while. One day my wings wouldn’t carry me and I fell. When
I opened my eyes again, I saw you."
"It’s my fault," cried Thumbelina.
"No, it’s not," said Pete. "We’re friends. And friends help each other,
right? So thank you for helping me, Thumbelina."
"You’re welcome," Thumbelina said shyly. "Now that you’re better,
we need to make a plan."
"I’m still a little weak," Pete said.
Thumbelina pointed to the hole above them. "Can you get through
there?"
Pete looked unsure. "I don’t know . . ."
"Can you move your wings?" asked Thumbelina.
"I’m still so cold," said Pete. "But I think I can move them a little."
As they discussed their plan, someone was watching them. Mrs. Gray
had come down the tunnel looking for Thumbelina.

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 "Thumbelina! What are you doing here?" screamed the mouse. "Get
away from that awful animal!"
"Don’t talk about Pete like that," said Thumbelina.
Then another shape appeared on the other side of the tunnel. It was
Mr. Rufus.
"What’s going on here?" he demanded.
"It’s alive, Mr. Rufus," cried Mrs. Gray. "That bird is not dead!"
"What?" Mr. Rufus said, shaking his head. "Well, never mind. It
won’t be alive for long."
"What do you mean?" asked Thumbelina.
"Slim’s coming," said Mr. Rufus, looking up. "I told him to meet me
here."
Suddenly the ground above them began to shake. Dirt fell on their
heads. The coyote had arrived. And he was sniffing around.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 14: The Great Escape

Thumbelina and Pete were in trouble.

"Thumbelina, go back to my house!" Mrs. Gray yelled.
"Slim? Down here!" Mr. Rufus shouted.
"Mr. Rufus, please," begged Thumbelina. "The bird is my friend."
Mr. Rufus waved his cane. "I promised Slim. And I always keep my
promises," he said firmly.
"Go put on your dress, Thumbelina," said Mrs. Gray, looking at her
watch. "It’s almost time for the wedding."
"I won’t marry him!" Thumbelina shouted.
Then Mrs. Gray saw the dress on the ground. It was covered in food
and mud.
"Thumbelina, is that your wedding dress?" she gasped. She held up
the dress. "It’s ruined! And you gave this bird my food?"
"Well, that was a waste of time," grunted the mole. "Slim is going to
eat him anyway."
Suddenly a big hairy paw pushed down through the hole.
"Smells like that bird is alive, Rufus! All the better!" growled Slim.
Pete stared at the coyote’s sharp claws above him. He froze with fear.
Thumbelina had to think fast. The coyote was almost through the
hole. Thumbelina had an idea and began to sing to Pete.
"Pete, listen to me," she sang.
"Huh? What?" Pete stared at Thumbelina. He looked confused.
"Where did you learn that song?"
Thumbelina remembered the secret talking songs from Kris and
Maggie. She was singing: "I will wave my wedding dress. The coyote
will be confused. Then quickly fly up as fast as you can. I’ll hang onto
you."
"It’s too dangerous," said Pete.
"How can you sing at a time like this?" cried Mrs. Gray.

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 "She does have such a pretty voice." Mr. Rufus sighed. He was
moving his cane in time with the song.
Thumbelina sang the song again. She stared at Pete.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"We can do it!" sang Thumbelina. "Now, Pete!" she shouted.
Thumbelina grabbed the dress from Mrs. Gray. She swung it around.
The nuts and seeds went flying in the air.
Some nuts fell on the mouse and the mole. "Ow!" they cried.
Thumbelina let the dress go. The wind caught the dress and blew it
toward Slim.
"At last!" Slim said hungrily. He bit the dress.
"Pete!" Thumbelina shouted loudly.
Pete spread his wings and shot up straight through the hole.
Thumbelina grabbed his leg.
"What? This isn’t a bird!" Slim realized his mistake. But it was too
late.
"Thumbelina!" shouted Mrs. Gray and Mr. Rufus from the tunnel.
"My dinner!" shouted Slim, jumping up and down.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 15: Coming Home

Thumbelina climbed onto Pete’s back. They were safe.

"We did it, Pete!" she shouted.
"That was a great plan," he said.
Thumbelina and Pete flew a long time without stopping.
"If you get cold, get under my feathers," he said to her. "Hey, how did
you learn the secret talking songs?"
"I met two birds named Kris and Maggie," said Thumbelina proudly.
"They taught me."
"You learned well, my friend," said Pete.
"Are you okay?" Thumbelina was worried about his strength.
"It feels great to fly," he said.
"I don’t have wings," said Thumbelina. "But here I am flying!" She
looked down below. She saw rows of houses. Their roofs were covered
with snow. Some children had made snowmen.
"I know just the place to go," said Pete.
"Take your time," said Thumbelina. "I want to see the world."
They flew over a lake. Thumbelina saw something on the water.
"I see some ducks!" she said, pointing.
"That’s good news. It means we’re almost there," said Pete.
Now the air felt warmer. The scene below changed too.
"I can see green trees, Pete," she called out. "And flowers!"
They flew by a flower garden.
"From up here it looks like a bowl of colorful candies," she
exclaimed.
"I’m going to stop," said Pete. They landed in a garden near the
flowers. Thumbelina looked around. Some red flowers were growing
right next to them. The flowers had not opened yet.
"They’re so pretty," said Thumbelina. She thought they might be
tulips, but she wasn’t sure.
"This is where you belong," said Pete.

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 "What do you mean?" asked Thumbelina.
"When I first saw you," began Pete, "I knew you were far away from
home."
"I know. My home is with Mrs. Marigold," said Thumbelina.
"No, it isn’t. Not really. It’s here," said Pete.
"I don’t understand," said Thumbelina.
"Soon you will," replied Pete. "Good-bye, Thumbelina. Thank you for
everything."
"No, don’t go!" pleaded Thumbelina.
"Don’t worry. We’ll see each other again," promised Pete.
Thumbelina watched her friend fly away. "Good-bye, Pete!" she
shouted after him.
Suddenly one of the flowers began to shake. It was the biggest one.
Then the petals slowly opened one by one.
"Oh my," gasped Thumbelina. She stared inside the flower.
"Who disturbs my sleep?" A little man stepped out of the flower. He
was the same size as Thumbelina.
"I’m sorry," stammered Thumbelina. "I didn’t mean to shout so loud."
The man stared at Thumbelina. She stared at him.
"Are those wings?" she asked. The man had a pair of wings on his
back.

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Thumbelina, Chapter 16: Seeing the World (Final Chapter)

The tiny man introduced himself. "I am Prince Fada. This is the kingdom
of the flower fairies."
He began to whistle. All the other flowers started to open up. Each
flower had a tiny person like Thumbelina inside. Everyone smiled at her.
"This might be where I belong," she whispered to herself. Thumbelina
was surprised and happy to see people like her.
"My name is Thumbelina," she said. "Do you live in the flowers?"
"Yes, each flower is home to one of us," laughed the prince. "But
where is your home?"
"I don’t really know, Prince Fada," said Thumbelina. "I just know
what I enjoy doing, like looking at the stars."
"We sit in our flowers and watch the night sky," said the prince.
"Then we all sing together."
"Really?" asked Thumbelina, remembering Mrs. Marigold’s
windowsill.
"What kind of flower do you sleep in?" asked the prince.
"My bed was a walnut shell with a blanket of tulip petals,"
Thumbelina replied.
"Yes, tulips are our people’s favorite flower," said Prince Fada.
Thumbelina was very excited.
"Please tell me how you found us," said the prince.
So Thumbelina told him everything that had happened.
"Yes, our people love adventures too," agreed the prince.
"But singing kept me strong and happy," said Thumbelina.
Prince Fada’s eyes shone. "Yes, we all have lovely voices and love to
sing."
"I found that I could learn bird songs easily," said Thumbelina.
"We are great friends with birds," said Prince Fada. Then, after a
moment, he said, "I believe you are one of us. You look like us. You
sound like us."

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 "But there is one thing that is different," Thumbelina said. "I don’t
have wings."
Prince Fada smiled. "Yes, you do."
He whistled a happy tune. Another fairy brought a pair of wings. She
put them on Thumbelina.
"They’re beautiful!" Thumbelina said excitedly. She could not believe
it. She smiled shyly at the prince.
"And they fit perfectly," he said.
Thumbelina turned to look at her wings.
"Now I can go wherever I want!" she said joyfully.
The prince frowned. "But don’t you want to stay here with me? You
can become my princess. We can live happily together."
Thumbelina looked at him. Then she looked up at the sky.
"Before, I didn’t know where I belonged," she said. "Now, I know.
But I want to see Mrs. Marigold again. After that, I want to see the
world! Then I will happily return home. Don’t worry, prince. I promise
to come back."
Thumbelina shook her wings and flew toward the sky. Her adventure
as Thumbelina was over. But her life as a fairy was just about to begin.

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The characters

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