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Children's Stories, Thumbelina - part 3

Thumbelina - part 3

That night the little maiden could not sleep. "I will go to see the poor swallow again," she thought. She got up out of her tiny bed. She wove a little carpet out of hay. Down the long underground passage little Thumbelina walked, carrying the carpet. She reached the bird at last, and spread the carpet gently round him. She fetched warm cotton and laid it over the bird.

"Even down on the cold earth he will be warm now," thought the gentle little maiden. "Farewell," she said sadly, "farewell, little bird! Did you sing to me through the long summer days, when the leaves were green and the sky was blue? Farewell, little swallow!" and she stooped to press her tiny cheeks against the soft feathers.

As she did so, she heard—what could it be? Pit, pat, pit, pat! Could the bird be alive? Little Thumbelina listened still. Yes, it was the beating of the little bird's heart that she heard. He had not been dead after all, only frozen with cold. The little carpet and the covering the little maid had brought warmed the bird. He would get well now.

What a big bird he seemed to Thumbelina! She was almost afraid now, for she was so tiny. She was tiny, but she was brave. Drawing the covering more closely round the poor swallow, she brought her own little pillow, that the bird's head might rest softly. Thumbelina stole out again the next night. "Would the swallow look at her," she wondered. Yes, he opened his eyes, and looked at little Thumbelina, who stood there with a tiny torch of tinder-wood.

"Thanks, thanks, little Thumbelina," he twittered feebly. "Soon I shall grow strong and fly out in the bright sunshine once more; thanks, thanks, little maiden." "Oh! but it is too cold, it snows and freezes, for now it is winter," said Thumbelina. "Stay here and be warm, and I will take care of you," and she brought the swallow water in a leaf. And the little bird told her all his story,—how he had tried to fly to the warm countries, and how he had torn his wing on a blackthorn bush and fallen to the ground. But he could not tell her how he had come to the underground passage.

All winter the swallow stayed there, and Thumbelina was often in the long passage, with her little torch of tinder-wood. But the mole and the field-mouse did not know how Thumbelina tended and cared for the swallow.

At last spring came, and the sun sent its warmth down where the swallow lay in the underground passage.

Little Thumbelina opened the hole which the mole had made in the ceiling, and the sunshine streamed down on the swallow and the little girl.

How the swallow longed to soar away, up and up, to be lost to sight in the blue, blue sky!

"Come with me, little Thumbelina," said the swallow, "come with me to the blue skies and the green woods." But Thumbelina remembered how kind the field-mouse had been to her when she was cold and hungry, and she would not leave her.

"Farewell! farewell! then, little maiden," twittered the swallow as he flew out and up, up into the sunshine. Thumbelina loved the swallow dearly. Her eyes were full of tears as she watched the bird disappearing till he was only a tiny speck of black.

And now sad days came to little Thumbelina.

The golden corn was once more waving in the sunshine above the house of the field-mouse, but Thumbelina must not go out lest she lose herself among the corn.

Not go out in the bright sunshine! Oh, poor little Thumbelina!

"You must get your wedding clothes ready this summer," said the field-mouse. "You must be well provided with linen and worsted. My neighbor the mole will wish a well-dressed bride." The mole had said he wished to marry little Thumbelina before the cold winter came again.

So Thumbelina sat at the spinning-wheel through the long summer days, spinning and weaving with four little spiders to help her.

In the evening the mole came to visit her. "Summer will soon be over," he said, "and we shall be married." But oh! little Thumbelina did not wish the summer to end.

Live with the dull old mole, who hated the sunshine, who would not listen to the song of the birds—live underground with him! Little Thumbelina wished the summer would never end.

The spinning and weaving were over now. All the wedding clothes were ready. Autumn was come.

"Only four weeks and the wedding-day will have come," said the field-mouse. And little Thumbelina wept.

"I will not marry the tiresome old mole," she said. "I shall bite you with my white tooth if you talk such nonsense," said the field-mouse. "Among all my friends not one of them has such a fine velvet coat as the mole. His cellars are full and his rooms are large. You ought to be glad to marry so well," she ended. "Was there no escape from the underground home?" little Thumbelina wondered.

The wedding-day came. The mole arrived to fetch his little bride.

How could she say good-by for ever to the beautiful sunshine?

"Farewell, farewell!" she cried, and waved her little hands towards the glorious sun.

"Farewell, farewell!" she cried, and threw her tiny arms round a little red flower growing at her feet.

"Tell the dear swallow, when he comes again," she whispered to the flower, "tell him I will never forget him." "Tweet, tweet!" what was that Thumbelina heard? "Tweet, tweet!" Could it be the swallow?

The flutter of wings was round her. Little Thumbelina looked. How glad she was, for there, indeed, was the little bird she had tended and cared for so long. She told him, weeping, she must not stay. She must marry the mole and live underground, and never see the sun, the glorious sun.

"Come with me, come with me, little Thumbelina," twittered the swallow. "You can sit on my back, and I will fly with you to warmer countries, far from the tiresome old mole. Over mountains and seas we will fly to the country where the summer never ends, and the sunlight always shines." Then little Thumbelina seated herself on her dear swallow's back, and put her tiny feet on his outstretched wing. She tied herself firmly with her little sash to the strongest feather of the bird.

And the swallow soared high into the air. High above forests and lakes, high above the big mountains that were crested with snow, he soared.

And little Thumbelina shivered as she felt the cold air, but soon she crept under the bird's warm feathers, and only pushed out her little head to see the beauty all around her. They had reached the warm countries now. The sun was more brilliant here, the flowers more radiant.

On and on flew the swallow, till he came to a white marble palace. Half-ruined it was, and vine leaves trailed up the long slender pillars. And among the broad, green leaves many a swallow had built his nest, and one of these nests belonged to Thumbelina's little swallow. "This is my home," said the bird, "but you shall live in one of these brilliant flowers, in the loveliest of them all'." And little Thumbelina clapped her hands with joy.

The swallow flew with her to a stately sunflower, and set her carefully on one of the broad yellow petals.

But think, what was her surprise! In the very heart of the flower stood a little Prince, fair and transparent as crystal. On his head he wore a crown of gold, on his shoulders a pair of delicate wings, and he was small, every bit as small as Thumbelina. He was the spirit of the flower.

For you know in each flower there is a spirit, a tiny little boy or girl, but this little Prince was King of all the flower spirits.

The little King thought Thumbelina the loveliest maiden he had ever seen. He took off his golden crown and placed it on the tiny head of the little maid, and in a silvery voice he asked, "Will you be my bride, little Thumbelina, and reign with me over the flower spirits?" How glad Thumbelina was!

The little King wished to marry her. Yes, she would be his little Queen.

Then out of each blossom stepped tiny little children. They came to pay their homage to little Thumbelina.

Each one brought her a present, and the most beautiful of all the presents was a pair of wings, delicate as gossamer. And when they were fastened on the shoulders of the little Queen, she could fly from flower to flower.

And the swallow sat on his nest above, and sang his sweetest bridal song for the wedding of little Thumbelina.


Thumbelina - part 3 Däumelinchen - Teil 3 Le Petit Poucet - partie 3 おやゆび姫 - パート3 拇指姑娘 - 一部分 3

That night the little maiden could not sleep. "I will go to see the poor swallow again," she thought. She got up out of her tiny bed. She wove a little carpet out of hay. Она сплела маленький ковер из сена. Down the long underground passage little Thumbelina walked, carrying the carpet. По длинному подземному переходу шла маленькая Дюймовочка, неся ковер. She reached the bird at last, and spread the carpet gently round him. She fetched warm cotton and laid it over the bird. Она взяла теплый хлопок и положила его на птицу.

"Even down on the cold earth he will be warm now," thought the gentle little maiden. «Даже на холодной земле ему будет тепло», - подумала нежная маленькая дева. "Farewell," she said sadly, "farewell, little bird! «Прощай, - грустно сказала она, - прощай, маленькая птичка! Did you sing to me through the long summer days, when the leaves were green and the sky was blue? Ты пел мне долгие летние дни, когда листья были зелеными, а небо - синим? Farewell, little swallow!" Прощай, маленькая ласточка! and she stooped to press her tiny cheeks against the soft feathers. и она наклонилась, чтобы прижать свои крошечные щеки к мягким перьям.

As she did so, she heard—what could it be? Когда она это сделала, она услышала - что бы это могло быть? Pit, pat, pit, pat! Яма, погладь, погладь, погладь! Could the bird be alive? Может ли птица быть живой? Little Thumbelina listened still. Yes, it was the beating of the little bird's heart that she heard. He had not been dead after all, only frozen with cold. The little carpet and the covering the little maid had brought warmed the bird. Маленький ковер и покрытие, которое принесла маленькая горничная, согрели птицу. He would get well now. Он бы выздоровел сейчас.

What a big bird he seemed to Thumbelina! Какой большой птицей он казался Дюймовочке! She was almost afraid now, for she was so tiny. Теперь она почти боялась, потому что была такой маленькой. She was tiny, but she was brave. Drawing the covering more closely round the poor swallow, she brought her own little pillow, that the bird's head might rest softly. Придвинув одеяло поближе к бедной ласточке, она принесла свою собственную маленькую подушку, чтобы голова птицы могла мягко покоиться. Thumbelina stole out again the next night. Дюймовочку снова украли на следующую ночь. "Would the swallow look at her," she wondered. «Будет ли ласточка смотреть на нее,» она задавалась вопросом. Yes, he opened his eyes, and looked at little Thumbelina, who stood there with a tiny torch of tinder-wood. Да, он открыл глаза и посмотрел на маленькую Дюймовочку, которая стояла там с крошечным факелом из дерева.

"Thanks, thanks, little Thumbelina," he twittered feebly. "Soon I shall grow strong and fly out in the bright sunshine once more; thanks, thanks, little maiden." «Скоро я стану сильным и снова вылету на яркое солнце; спасибо, спасибо, маленькая дева». "Oh! but it is too cold, it snows and freezes, for now it is winter," said Thumbelina. но слишком холодно, идет снег и замерзает, а сейчас зима », - сказала Дюймовочка. "Stay here and be warm, and I will take care of you," and she brought the swallow water in a leaf. «Оставайся здесь и будь тепл, и я позабочусь о тебе», и она принесла ласточку в лист. And the little bird told her all his story,—how he had tried to fly to the warm countries, and how he had torn his wing on a blackthorn bush and fallen to the ground. But he could not tell her how he had come to the underground passage.

All winter the swallow stayed there, and Thumbelina was often in the long passage, with her little torch of tinder-wood. Всю зиму ласточка оставалась там, и Дюймовочка часто была в длинном проходе со своим маленьким факелом из древесины трут. But the mole and the field-mouse did not know how Thumbelina tended and cared for the swallow.

At last spring came, and the sun sent its warmth down where the swallow lay in the underground passage. Наконец наступила весна, и солнце послало свое тепло туда, где ласточка лежала в подземном переходе.

Little Thumbelina opened the hole which the mole had made in the ceiling, and the sunshine streamed down on the swallow and the little girl. Маленькая Дюймовочка открыла дыру, которую кроль сделал в потолке, и солнечный свет струился на ласточку и маленькую девочку.

How the swallow longed to soar away, up and up, to be lost to sight in the blue, blue sky! Как ласточка жаждала взлететь вверх и вверх, чтобы быть потерянным для взгляда в синем, синем небе!

"Come with me, little Thumbelina," said the swallow, "come with me to the blue skies and the green woods." But Thumbelina remembered how kind the field-mouse had been to her when she was cold and hungry, and she would not leave her. Но Дюймовочка вспомнила, какой доброй была полевая мышь, когда ей было холодно и голодно, и она не оставляла ее.

"Farewell! "Прощальный привет! farewell! then, little maiden," twittered the swallow as he flew out and up, up into the sunshine. Thumbelina loved the swallow dearly. Дюймовочка очень любила ласточку. Her eyes were full of tears as she watched the bird disappearing till he was only a tiny speck of black. Ее глаза были полны слез, когда она наблюдала за исчезающей птицей, пока он не стал лишь крошечным черным пятнышком.

And now sad days came to little Thumbelina. И вот настали печальные дни маленькой Дюймовочки.

The golden corn was once more waving in the sunshine above the house of the field-mouse, but Thumbelina must not go out lest she lose herself among the corn. Золотая кукуруза снова махала на солнце над домом полевой мыши, но Дюймовочка не должна выходить, чтобы не потеряться среди кукурузы.

Not go out in the bright sunshine! Oh, poor little Thumbelina!

"You must get your wedding clothes ready this summer," said the field-mouse. «Вы должны подготовить свою свадебную одежду этим летом», - сказала полевая мышь. "You must be well provided with linen and worsted. My neighbor the mole will wish a well-dressed bride." Моему соседу крот пожелает хорошо одетую невесту ». The mole had said he wished to marry little Thumbelina before the cold winter came again.

So Thumbelina sat at the spinning-wheel through the long summer days, spinning and weaving with four little spiders to help her. Таким образом, Дюймовочка сидела за прялкой долгие летние дни, вращаясь и сплетаясь с четырьмя маленькими пауками, чтобы помочь ей.

In the evening the mole came to visit her. "Summer will soon be over," he said, "and we shall be married." But oh! little Thumbelina did not wish the summer to end. Маленькая Дюймовочка не хотела, чтобы лето закончилось.

Live with the dull old mole, who hated the sunshine, who would not listen to the song of the birds—live underground with him! Little Thumbelina wished the summer would never end. Маленькая Дюймовочка хотела, чтобы лето никогда не кончалось.

The spinning and weaving were over now. Прядение и ткачество закончились. All the wedding clothes were ready. Autumn was come.

"Only four weeks and the wedding-day will have come," said the field-mouse. And little Thumbelina wept.

"I will not marry the tiresome old mole," she said. "I shall bite you with my white tooth if you talk such nonsense," said the field-mouse. "Among all my friends not one of them has such a fine velvet coat as the mole. «Среди всех моих друзей ни у одного из них нет такого прекрасного бархатного пальто, как крот. His cellars are full and his rooms are large. You ought to be glad to marry so well," she ended. "Was there no escape from the underground home?" "Не было ли выхода из подземного дома?" little Thumbelina wondered.

The wedding-day came. The mole arrived to fetch his little bride. Крот прибыл за своей маленькой невестой.

How could she say good-by for ever to the beautiful sunshine? Как она могла навсегда проститься с прекрасным солнцем?

"Farewell, farewell!" she cried, and waved her little hands towards the glorious sun. воскликнула она и помахала маленькими руками к славному солнцу.

"Farewell, farewell!" she cried, and threw her tiny arms round a little red flower growing at her feet. закричала она и обвила свои крошечные руки вокруг маленького красного цветка, растущего у ее ног.

"Tell the dear swallow, when he comes again," she whispered to the flower, "tell him I will never forget him." "Tweet, tweet!" what was that Thumbelina heard? "Tweet, tweet!" Could it be the swallow?

The flutter of wings was round her. Little Thumbelina looked. How glad she was, for there, indeed, was the little bird she had tended and cared for so long. Как она была рада, ведь там действительно была маленькая птичка, за которой она ухаживала и заботилась так долго. She told him, weeping, she must not stay. Она сказала ему, плача, она не должна оставаться. She must marry the mole and live underground, and never see the sun, the glorious sun.

"Come with me, come with me, little Thumbelina," twittered the swallow. "You can sit on my back, and I will fly with you to warmer countries, far from the tiresome old mole. Over mountains and seas we will fly to the country where the summer never ends, and the sunlight always shines." Then little Thumbelina seated herself on her dear swallow's back, and put her tiny feet on his outstretched wing. Затем маленькая Дюймовочка уселась на спину своей дорогой ласточки и положила свои крошечные ступни на его вытянутое крыло. She tied herself firmly with her little sash to the strongest feather of the bird. Она крепко привязала себя своим маленьким поясом к самому сильному перу птицы.

And the swallow soared high into the air. High above forests and lakes, high above the big mountains that were crested with snow, he soared.

And little Thumbelina shivered as she felt the cold air, but soon she crept under the bird's warm feathers, and only pushed out her little head to see the beauty all around her. They had reached the warm countries now. The sun was more brilliant here, the flowers more radiant.

On and on flew the swallow, till he came to a white marble palace. Half-ruined it was, and vine leaves trailed up the long slender pillars. Это было полуразрушено, и листья винограда тянулись вверх по длинным тонким столбам. And among the broad, green leaves many a swallow had built his nest, and one of these nests belonged to Thumbelina's little swallow. И среди широких зеленых листьев многие ласточки построили его гнездо, и одно из этих гнезд принадлежало маленькой ласточке Дюймовочки. "This is my home," said the bird, "but you shall live in one of these brilliant flowers, in the loveliest of them all'." «Это мой дом, - сказала птица, - но ты будешь жить в одном из этих ярких цветов, в самом прекрасном из них». And little Thumbelina clapped her hands with joy.

The swallow flew with her to a stately sunflower, and set her carefully on one of the broad yellow petals. Ласточка полетела с ней к величественному подсолнуху и осторожно посадила ее на один из широких желтых лепестков.

But think, what was her surprise! Но подумай, каково было ее удивление! In the very heart of the flower stood a little Prince, fair and transparent as crystal. On his head he wore a crown of gold, on his shoulders a pair of delicate wings, and he was small, every bit as small as Thumbelina. На голове у него была золотая корона, на плечах пара тонких крыльев, и он был маленьким, ничуть не меньше, как Дюймовочка. He was the spirit of the flower.

For you know in each flower there is a spirit, a tiny little boy or girl, but this little Prince was King of all the flower spirits. Ведь в каждом цветке есть дух, крошечный маленький мальчик или девочка, но этот маленький принц был Царем всех цветочных духов.

The little King thought Thumbelina the loveliest maiden he had ever seen. Маленький Король думал, что Дюймовочка - самая прекрасная девушка, которую он когда-либо видел. He took off his golden crown and placed it on the tiny head of the little maid, and in a silvery voice he asked, "Will you be my bride, little Thumbelina, and reign with me over the flower spirits?" How glad Thumbelina was!

The little King wished to marry her. Yes, she would be his little Queen.

Then out of each blossom stepped tiny little children. Затем из каждого цветка вышли крошечные маленькие дети. They came to pay their homage to little Thumbelina.

Each one brought her a present, and the most beautiful of all the presents was a pair of wings, delicate as gossamer. Каждый принес ей подарок, и самым красивым из всех подарков была пара крыльев, изящная, как паутинка. And when they were fastened on the shoulders of the little Queen, she could fly from flower to flower. И когда они были закреплены на плечах маленькой королевы, она могла летать от цветка к цветку.

And the swallow sat on his nest above, and sang his sweetest bridal song for the wedding of little Thumbelina. И ласточка села на свое гнездо наверху и спела свою самую сладкую свадебную песню для свадьбы маленькой Дюймовочки.