Thumbelina

Thumbelina book cover — Thumbelina Retold by Xanthe Gresham Knight Illustrated by Charlotte Gastaut Barefoot Books Step inside a story

Thumbelina — page 1 — CHAPTER ONE A Girl Named Thumbelina There was once a mother who didn't have a child How she wanted one She told the swallows in the sky I want a child She told the flowers in her garden I want a child She told the fish in the river I want a child She said it so often the birds sang the flowers nodded the fish mouthed She wants a child She wants a child She wants a child Early one morning an old woman came hobbling down the road with a basketful of seeds As she listened to the birds the flowers and the fish her ears bristled like a field of wheat She knocked on Mother's door You want a child asked the old woman Yes please Take a pocket of air a pinch of sun a peck of rainbow plant them and you'll get your child 6

Thumbelina — page 2 — A GIRL NAMED THUMBELINA But that's impossible wept Mother At this the old woman laughed such a long tee heeeeeeee she had to lean against the wall to stop from falling over It's already done she said pushing a seed into Mother's hand Eyes shining Mother planted the seed in a pot sat with her hands on the table her chin on her hands and watched For one hour two hours nothing happened Three hours four hours nothing happened then in a blink whoosh A stalk pushed through the soil At the end of the stalk was a yellow bud The bud swelled and swelled until it was a bell shaped flower It opened And there balanced on the soft petals was a tiny tiny wee little girl A girl like there has never been before and never will be again She was no taller than Mother's thumb with eyes as brown as berries lips as red as cherries and cheeks an apple blossom pink She blinked shook her ink black hair and dove straight into the bowl of flowers They scattered and made a swimming pool 7

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