THUMBELINA
Adapted by Sue Reid
Once
there was a woman who longed for a
child of her own. So she went to a witch to ask for help. ‘Old witch,’ she
said. ‘I would dearly like to have a child of my own. Can you help
me?’
‘Ah, that’s easy,’ said the witch. ‘Here’s a barleycorn
for you. Take it home and plant
it in a pot. Then wait and see what
happens.’
‘Oh
thank you,’ said the woman. She hurried home and planted the grain in a pot. At once a flower began to grow.
‘What
a pretty flower,’
exclaimed the woman and she bent down
to kiss the petals. As she did, the petals burst open.
There,
sitting in the middle of the flower, was
a little girl. ‘How tiny and delicate
she is,’ said the woman. ‘Why,
she is no bigger than the tip of my
thumb. I will call her Thumbelina.’
Thumbelina
was very
contented. At night she slept under a
rose petal in a polished walnut
shell. By day she rowed herself
across a bowl of water the woman had
put out for her.
As she rowed she sang. She had
the sweetest voice you’ve
ever heard.
