bed and swam away with it, leaving
Thumbelina all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept. She
could not bear to think of living with the old toad and having her ugly
son for a husband. The little fishes who swam about in the water beneath
had seen the toad and heard what she said, so now they lifted their
heads above the water to look at the little maiden.

As soon as they caught sight of her they saw she was very pretty, and it
vexed them to think that she must go and live with the ugly toads.

"No, it must never be!" So they gathered together in the water, round
the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood,
and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth. Then the leaf floated
down the stream, carrying Thumbelina far away out of reach of land.

Thumbelina sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes
saw her and sang, "What a lovely little creature." So the leaf swam away
with her farther and farther, till it brought her to other lands. A
graceful little white butterfly constantly fluttered round her and at
last alighted on the leaf. The little maiden pleased him, and she was
glad of it, for now the toad could not possibly reach her, and the
country through which she sailed was beautiful, and the sun shone upon
the water till it glittered like liquid gold. She took off her girdle
and tied one end of it round the butterfly, fastening the other end of
the ribbon to the leaf, which now glided on much faster than before,
taking Thumbelina with it as she stood.

Presently a large cockchafer flew by. The moment he caught sight of her
he seized her round her delicate waist with his claws and flew with her
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.

Oh, how frightened Thumbelina felt when the cockchafer flew with her to
the tree! But especially was she sorry for the beautiful white butterfly
which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he
would die of hunger. But the cockchafer did not trouble himself at all
about the matter. He seated himself by her side, on a large green leaf,
gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her she was very
pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer.

[Illustration: Glided on much faster than before....]

After a time all the cockchafers who lived in the tree came to pay
Thumbelina a visit. They stared at her,