rgest, and to this the old toad swam with
Thumbelina in her walnut-shell.

The tiny Thumbelina woke up very early in the morning, and when she
saw where she was she began to cry bitterly; for on every side of the
great green leaf was water, and she could not get to the land.

The old toad was down under the marsh, decorating her room with rushes
and yellow marigold leaves, to make it very grand for her new
daughter-in-law; then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf where
Thumbelina lay. She wanted to fetch the pretty cradle to put it into
her room before Thumbelina herself came there. The old toad bowed low
in the water before her, and said: 'Here is my son; you shall marry
him, and live in great magnificence down under the marsh.'

[Illustration: Thumbelina Rides on the Waterlily-leaf]

'Croak, croak, croak!' was all that the son could say. Then they took
the neat little cradle and swam away with it; but Thumbelina sat alone
on the great green leaf and wept, for she did not want to live with
the clammy toad, or marry her ugly son. The little fishes swimming
about under the water had seen the toad quite plainly, and heard what
she had said; so they put up their heads to see the little girl. When
they saw her, they thought her so pretty that they were very sorry she
should go down with the ugly toad to live. No; that must not happen.
They assembled in the water round the green stalk which supported the
leaf on which she was sitting and nibbled the stem in two. Away
floated the leaf down the stream, bearing Thumbelina far beyond the
reach of the toad.

On she sailed past several towns, and the little birds sitting in the
bushes saw her, and sang, 'What a pretty little girl!' The leaf
floated farther and farther away; thus Thumbelina left her native
land.

A beautiful little white butterfly fluttered above her, and at last
settled on the leaf. Thumbelina pleased him, and she, too, was
delighted, for now the toads could not reach her, and it was so
beautiful where she was travelling; the sun shone on the water and
made it sparkle like the brightest silver. She took off her sash, and
tied one end round the butterfly; the other end she fastened to the
leaf, so that now it glided along with her faster than ever.

A great cockchafer came flying past; he caught sight of Thumbelina,
and in a moment had put his arms round her slender waist, and had
flown off with her to a tree. The green leaf floated away down the
st