On his head he
wore a crown of gold, on his shoulders a pair of delicate wings, and
he was small, every bit as small as Thumbelina. He was the spirit of
the flower.
For you know in each flower there is a spirit, a tiny little boy or
girl, but this little Prince was King of all the flower spirits.
The little King thought Thumbelina the loveliest maiden he had ever
seen. He took off his golden crown and placed it on the tiny head
of the little maid, and in a silvery voice he asked, "Will you be my
bride, little Thumbelina, and reign with me over the flower spirits?"
How glad Thumbelina was!
The little King wished to marry her. Yes, she would be his little
Queen.
Then out of each blossom stepped tiny little children. They came to
pay their homage to little Thumbelina.
Each one brought her a present, and the most beautiful of all the
presents was a pair of wings, delicate as gossamer. And when they
were fastened on the shoulders of the little Queen, she could fly from
flower to flower.
And the swallow sat on his nest above, and sang his sweetest bridal
song for the wedding of little Thumbelina.
* * * * *
THE TINDER-BOX
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
A story about a tinder-box? Yes, but then it was such a wonderful one!
Why, it must certainly have been a magic box!
It belonged to an old witch, this tinder-box, but it had been left
right down inside a tree by the ugly old witch's grandmother.
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