lies to make it gay for her little
daughter-in-law, Thumbelina.

"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.

"Free, free!" she sang, and her voice tinkled as a chime of fairy
bells. "Free, free!" she sang merrily as she floated down the stream,
away, far away out of reach of the ugly old toad and her ugly son.

And as she floated on, the little wild birds sang round her, and on
the banks the little wild harebells bowed to her.

Butterflies were flitting here and there in the sunshine. A pretty
little white one fluttered on to the leaf on which sat Thumbelina. He
loved the tiny maiden so well that he settled down beside her.

Now she was quite happy! Birds around her, flowers near her, and the
water gleaming like gold in the summer sunshine. What besides could
little Thumbelina wish?

She took off her sash and threw one end of it round the butterfly. The
other end she fastened firmly to the leaf. On and on floated the leaf,
the little maiden and the butterfly.

Suddenly a great cockchafer buzzed along. Alas! he caught sight of
little Thumbelina. He flew to her, put his claw round her tiny waist
and carried her off, up on to a tree.

Poor little Thumbelina! How frightened she was! How grieved she was,
too, for