拇指姑娘（選段）
She had a little house of her own, a little garden too, this woman of whom I am going to tell you, but for all that she was not quite happy.
If only I had a little child of my own,she said, Then, indeed, I should be quite happy.
And an old witch heard what the woman had wished, and said, Oh, but that is easily managed. Here is a barley-corn. Plant it in a flower-pot and tend it carefully, and then you will see what will happen.
The woman was in a great hurry to go home and plant the barley-corn, but she did not forget to say ;thank you; to the old witch. She not only thanked her, she even stayed to give her six silver pennies.
And what do you think happened? Almost before the corn was planted, up shot a large and beautiful flower. It was still unopened. The petals were folded closely together, but it looked like a tulip. It really was a tulip, a red and yellow one, too.
The woman loved flowers. She stooped and kissed the beautiful bud. As her lips touched the petals, they burst open, and oh! wonder of wonders! there in the very middle of the flower, there sat a little child. Such a tiny, pretty little maiden she was.
They called her Thumbelina. That was because she was no bigger than the womans thumb.
And where do you think she slept?
When she slept little Thumbelina lay in her cradle on a tiny heap of violets, with the petal of a pale pink rose to cover her.
And where do you think she played? A table was her playground. On the table the woman placed a plate of water. Little Thumbelina called that her lake.
Round the plate were scented flowers, the blossoms laying on the edge, while the pale green stalks reached thirstily down to the water.
She peeped at her, this ugly toad.
How beautiful the little maiden is, she croaked. She will make a lovely bride for my handsome son. And she lifted the little cradle, with Thumbelina in it, and hopped out through the broken window-pane, down into the garden.
At the foot of the garden was a broad stream. Here, under the muddy banks lived the old toad with her son.
今天我要講給大家聽的是一個婦女的故事,她有自己的一間小屋和一個小花園,但她還是開心不起來。
她説,我要是有個一丁點小的孩子該多好啊,這樣我會多麼開心啊。
消息傳到了一個女巫的耳朵裏,她説,哦,這好辦的很!這是一顆大麥粒,把它種到花盆裏,然後你就等着看會發生什麼吧。
女人趕緊跑回家種下麥粒,她沒忘對巫婆説聲謝謝,不僅如此,她還給了巫婆6個銀幣。
你猜發生了什麼?麥粒剛種下去,一朵美麗的大花就破土而出。這是一朵沒開放的花,它的葉子緊緊的包在一起,看起來像是一朵鬱金香。它真的是一朵鬱金香,而且是紅中帶黃的。
女人非常喜歡花。她彎腰在美麗的花蕾上親了一下。她的嘴脣一碰到花瓣,花兒立刻綻放了!噢,太美妙了!就在花的中央,坐着一個小小孩兒!多麼小,多麼可愛的一個少女啊!
大家叫她拇指姑娘。因為她只有一個人的拇指那麼點大。
你們知道她睡在哪裏嗎?
小小拇指姑娘睡覺時躺在用紫羅蘭花瓣墊着的胡桃殼裏,蓋的是粉色玫瑰花瓣。
你知道她又是在怎麼玩耍嗎?一張桌子就是她玩耍的天地,女人在桌上放了一盤子水,拇指姑娘把它叫做她的湖
盤子上擺了一圈芳香的花兒,花朵沿着邊兒排開,而嫩綠的枝幹貪婪地伸向水中。
學問齋