Thumbling (Brothers Grimm)
Short summary
A poor peasant couple wished for a child, even one as small as a thumb. They had a son who was perfect but thumb-sized, whom they named Thumbling.
One day, Thumbling helped his father by guiding a horse to the forest while sitting in its ear. Two strangers saw this marvel and bought him from his father to exhibit for money. Thumbling escaped by hiding in a mouse-hole. Later, he offered to help thieves rob a pastor's house but deliberately shouted loudly to wake everyone, causing the thieves to flee.
While sleeping in hay, Thumbling was eaten by a cow. The cow was killed and its stomach thrown out, which a wolf then swallowed. From inside the wolf, Thumbling directed it to his father's house for food. The wolf became too fat to escape through the door. Thumbling called out to his parents.
Dear father, I am here; I am in the wolf's body...Thank God, our dear child has found us again
His parents killed the wolf and freed their son, vowing never to sell him again.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Thumblings birth and early childhood
A poor peasant and his wife lived quietly by their hearth, longing for children while other houses bustled with family life. The wife expressed her deep desire for a child, saying she would be satisfied even with one as small as a thumb, and they would love it with all their hearts.
even if we had only one, and it were quite small, and only as big as a thumb, I should be quite satisfied, and we would still love it with all our hearts.
Seven months later, the woman gave birth to a perfectly formed child no bigger than a thumb. The parents named him Thumbling and cared for him lovingly.
The cart adventure and kidnapping by strangers
One day, the peasant wished aloud for someone to bring his cart to the forest where he was cutting wood. Thumbling volunteered for the task, proposing to sit in the horse's ear and direct it.
That's of no consequence, father, if my mother will only harness it, I shall sit in the horse's ear and call out to him how he is to go.
The mother harnessed the horse, placed Thumbling in its ear, and the tiny boy successfully guided the cart to the forest. Two strange men witnessed this marvel and were amazed to see a driverless cart being directed by an invisible voice. When they discovered Thumbling, they immediately saw an opportunity for profit and approached his father to buy the remarkable child.
The father initially refused, declaring that his son was precious beyond any price. However, Thumbling whispered to his father that he should accept the offer, promising to return soon.
Father do give me away, I will soon come back again.
The father agreed to the transaction, and the men took Thumbling away, placing him on the rim of their hat so he could walk and observe the countryside.
Escape from kidnappers and encounter with thieves
As evening approached, Thumbling asked to be put down and quickly escaped into a mouse hole, mocking his captors as they futilely tried to retrieve him with sticks.
Good evening, gentlemen, just go home without me...They ran thither and stuck their sticks into the mouse-hole, but it was all lost labour.
After the men left in frustration, Thumbling emerged and found shelter in an empty snail shell for the night. Soon he overheard two thieves planning to rob a wealthy pastor's house. Thumbling offered his assistance, and the criminals agreed to take him along.
At the pastor's house, Thumbling crept through the iron bars but immediately began shouting loudly, asking if they wanted everything in the room. The thieves begged him to be quiet, but he continued yelling, deliberately alerting the household. The maid heard the commotion and investigated, causing the thieves to flee in terror.
Adventures inside the cow and wolf
Thumbling hid in the granary among the hay to sleep. The next morning, the maid gathered an armful of hay that contained the sleeping Thumbling and fed it to the cow, who swallowed him along with the fodder. Finding himself in the cow's stomach, Thumbling compared his predicament to being in a mill and complained about his dark, windowless quarters.
Ah, heavens! how have I got into the fulling mill?...In this little room the windows are forgotten, and no sun shines in, neither will a candle be brought.
When Thumbling cried out for no more fodder, the terrified maid reported to the pastor that the cow was speaking. The pastor ordered the cow killed, believing an evil spirit possessed it. The stomach containing Thumbling was thrown onto a dung heap, where a hungry wolf found and swallowed it whole.
From inside the wolf's belly, Thumbling cleverly directed the animal to his father's house, promising a feast of cakes, bacon, and sausages. The wolf squeezed through the kitchen sink and ate until he became too fat to escape the same way.
Rescue and return to parents
Thumbling began making violent noise inside the wolf, screaming and raging loudly. When the wolf demanded quiet, Thumbling refused, saying he would make merry too. His parents awoke and discovered the wolf in their room. Armed with an axe and scythe, they prepared to kill the intruder when they heard their son's voice from within the wolf's body.
The father struck the wolf dead and carefully cut open its body to free Thumbling. The family rejoiced at their reunion, and Thumbling recounted his adventures through the mouse hole, cow's stomach, and wolf's belly. His parents vowed never to sell him again for any amount of money, embracing and caring for their beloved son.
And we will not sell thee again, no, not for all the riches in the world...and they embraced and kissed their dear Thumbling.