Little Tomu or Thumbing

THERE was once a man who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain his wish. At last he went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?"

"Thank you" said the man, and he gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn. Then he went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud. "It is a beautiful flower," said the man, and he kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while he did so the flower opened, and he could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little bachelor. He was scarcely half as long as a thumb, and they gave her the name of "Thumbing," or Tomu, because he was so small. A walnut-shell, elegantly polished, served him for a cradle; his bed was formed of blue violet-leaves, with a rose-leaf for a counterpane. Here he slept at night, but during the day he amused herself on a table, where the man had placed a plateful of water. Round this plate were wreaths of flowers with their stems in the water, and upon it floated a large tulip-leaf, which served Tiny for a boat. Here the little bachelor sat and rowed himself from side to side, with two oars made of white horse-hair. It really was a very pretty sight. Tomu could, also, sing so softly and sweetly that nothing like his singing had ever before been heard. One night, while he lay in his pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and leaped right upon the table where Tomu lay sleeping under her rose-leaf quilt. "What a pretty little husband this would make for my daughter," said the toad, and he took up the walnut-shell in which little Tiny lay asleep, and jumped through the window with it into the garden.

In the swampy margin of a broad stream in the garden lived the toad, with his daughter. She was uglier even than her father, and when he saw the pretty little bachelor in his elegant bed, he could only cry, "Croak, croak, croak."

"Don't speak so loud, or he will wake," said the toad, "and then he might run away, for he is as light as swan's down. We will place him on one of the water-lily leaves out in the stream; it will be like an island to him, he is so light and small, and then he cannot escape; and, while he is away, we will make haste and prepare the state-room under the marsh, in which you are to live when you are married."

Far out in the stream grew a number of water-lilies, with broad green leaves, which seemed to float on the top of the water. The largest of these leaves appeared farther off than the rest, and the old toad swam out to it with the walnut-shell, in which little Tomu lay still asleep. The tiny little creature woke very early in the morning, and began to cry bitterly when he found where he was, for he could see nothing but water on every side of the large green leaf, and no way of reaching the land. Meanwhile the old toad was very busy under the marsh, decking his room with rushes and wild yellow flowers, to make it look pretty for his new son-in-law. Then he swam out with his ugly daughter to the leaf on which he had placed poor little Tomu. He wanted to fetch the pretty bed, that he might put it in the bridal chamber to be ready for him. The old toad bowed low to her in the water, and said, "Here is my daughter, she will be your wife, and you will live happily in the marsh by the stream."

Tomu sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes saw him, and sang, "What a lovely little creature;" so the leaf swam away with him farther and farther, till it brought him to other lands. A graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round him, and at last alighted on the leaf. Tomu pleased her, and he was glad of it, for now the toad could not possibly reach him, and the country through which he sailed was beautiful, and the sun shone upon the water, till it glittered like liquid gold. He took off his girdle and tied one end of it round the butterfly, and the other end of the ribbon he fastened to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than ever, taking little Tomu with it as he stood. Presently a large cockchafer flew by; the moment he caught sight of him, he seized him round him delicate waist with her claws, and flew with him into a tree. The green leaf floated away on the brook, and the butterfly flew with it, for he was fastened to it, and could not get away.