"Thumbelina"

The story of the famous fairy tale “Thumbelina” (by Hans Christian Andersen) is known to everyone: there once lived a woman who had no children. She longed to become a mother and constantly prayed for a child. One day, a sorceress gave her a grain of barley and told her to plant it in a flowerpot. The woman planted the grain, and suddenly a beautiful flower resembling a tulip grew in the pot. Inside the flower sat a tiny little girl. She was only one inch tall. That is why she was named Thumbelina. A bed was made for her from a walnut shell, a mattress from violets, and a blanket from a large green leaf. One night, a large toad jumped into the room where Thumbelina was sleeping through a broken windowpane. When the toad saw the girl, she took a liking to her and decided that Thumbelina would become the bride of her son. Many adventures then befall Thumbelina. Eventually, she is rescued by a swallow whom she had once helped to recover. In the end, Thumbelina marries the Prince of the Flowers and lives happily ever after.