Thumbelina

Illustration for the Chinese story “Thumbelina”

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从前cóng qián,有个yǒu gè女人nǚ rén想要xiǎng yào个gè孩子hái zi,Once upon a time, a woman wanted a child,仙女xiān nǚ送sòng给gěi她tā一yī粒lì神奇shén qí的de大麦粒dà mài lì。and a fairy gave her a magical barley grain.女人nǚ rén种下zhòng xià它tā,开出kāi chū一yī朵duǒ花huā,The woman planted it, and it grew into a flower,花蕊huā ruǐ里lǐ坐着zuò zhe个gè只有zhǐ yǒu拇指mǔ zhǐ那么nà me大dà的de小xiǎo姑娘gū niang—and in its center sat a girl as tiny as a thumb—大家dà jiā都dōu叫jiào她tā“拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang”!everyone called her 'Thumbelina'!

一天yī tiān夜里yè li,一只yī zhī老lǎo癞蛤蟆lài há ma偷偷tōu tōu抱走bào zǒu了le她tā:One night, an old toad secretly took her away:“你nǐ给gěi我wǒ儿子ér zi当dāng新娘xīn niáng吧ba!”'You will be my son’s bride!'它tā把bǎ拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang放fàng在zài荷叶hé yè上shàng。It placed Thumbelina on a lily pad.小鱼xiǎo yú们men心疼xīn téng她tā,咬断yǎo duàn叶梗yè gěng,让ràng荷叶hé yè船chuán顺水shùn shuǐ流走liú zǒu。Little fish pitied her, bit the stem, and let the lily pad float away.

路上lù shang,金龟子jīn guī zǐ抓走zhuā zǒu了le她tā,On the way, a beetle snatched her,可kě其他qí tā金龟子jīn guī zǐ嫌xián她tā“只有zhǐ yǒu两liǎng条tiáo腿tuǐ,真zhēn丑chǒu!”,but other beetles disliked her, saying, 'Only two legs, so ugly!',又yòu把bǎ她tā丢diū在zài森林sēn lín里lǐ。and abandoned her in the forest.拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang又yòu冷lěng又yòu饿è,Thumbelina was cold and hungry,用yòng树叶shù yè当dàng被子bèi zi熬过áo guò了le冬天dōng tiān。using leaves as a blanket to survive the winter.

春天chūn tiān来了lái le,她tā遇见yù jiàn田鼠tián shǔ婆婆pó po。Spring came, and she met a field mouse grandmother.好心hǎo xīn的de田鼠tián shǔ收留shōu liú了le她tā,The kind field mouse took her in,却què逼bī她tā嫁给jià gěi隔壁gé bì有钱yǒu qián的de鼹鼠yǎn shǔ。but forced her to marry the wealthy mole next door.拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang哭kū着zhe说shuō:“我wǒ不bù想xiǎng住zhù在zài地底下dì dǐ xià,见不到jiàn bù dào阳光yáng guāng!”Thumbelina cried, 'I don’t want to live underground without sunlight!'

这时zhè shí,她tā救jiù过guò的de一只yī zhī燕子yàn zi飞来fēi lái:Then, a swallow she had saved flew by:“快kuài骑qí到dào我wǒ背上bèi shàng!我wǒ带dài你nǐ去qù温暖wēn nuǎn的de地方dì fāng!”'Quick, ride on my back! I’ll take you to a warm place!'燕子yàn zi飞fēi呀ya飞fēi,带dài她tā来到lái dào花儿huā ér的de王国wáng guó。The swallow flew and flew, bringing her to the flower kingdom.

花丛huā cóng中zhōng的de王子wáng zǐ一yī见jiàn她tā就jiù笑xiào了le:The prince among the flowers smiled when he saw her:“你nǐ像xiàng最zuì娇嫩jiāo nen的de花苞huā bāo,愿意yuàn yì做zuò我wǒ的de王后wáng hòu吗ma?”'You’re like a delicate flower bud, will you be my queen?'

拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang终于zhōng yú笑xiào了le,轻轻qīng qīng点diǎn了le点头diǎn tóu。Thumbelina finally smiled and gently nodded.从此cóng cǐ,她tā和hé王子wáng zǐ在zài花瓣huā bàn宫殿gōng diàn里lǐ,过着guò zhe幸福xìng fú的de日子rì zi。From then on, she lived happily with the prince in a petal palace.

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