"Now we will go to bring her little bed and place it ready," said
the old toad, and together she and her son swam out to the leaf where
little Thumbelina sat.
"Here is my handsome son," she said, "he is to be your husband," and
she bowed low in the water, for she wished to be very polite to the
little maiden.
"Croak, croak," was all the young toad could say, as he looked at his
pretty little bride.
Then they took away the tiny little bed, and Thumbelina was left all
alone.
How the tears stained her pretty little face! How fast they fell into
the stream! Even the fish as they swam hither and thither thought,
"How it rains to-day," as the tiny drops fell thick and fast.
They popped up their heads and saw the forlorn little maiden.
"She shall not marry the ugly toad," they said, as they looked with
eager eyes at the pretty child. "No, she shall not marry the ugly
toad."
But what could the little fish do to help Thumbelina?
Oh! they were such clever little fish!
They found the green stem which held the leaf on which Thumbelina
sat. They bit it with their little sharp teeth, and they never
stopped biting, till at last they bit the green stem through; and
away, down the stream, floated the leaf, carrying with it little
Thumbelina.
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