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Tiny Thumbalina
A version of Thumalina 'Arranged {an unnamed person] from the story by Hans Christian Andersen'.
Bibliographical note: There is no publication date in the book but my copy has a manuscript inscription of 1944.
Bibliographical note: There is no publication date in the book but my copy has a manuscript inscription of 1944.
20 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1944
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About the author
Rene Cloke
217 books21 followersRene Cloke (born Irene Mabel N. Cloke in Plymouth, England) was a British illustrator of children's books and designer of greeting cards.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 6, 2020
My copy is not a sparkling one but for a wartime production it is not too bad and it is a really lovely book with glorious period illustrations by Rene Cloke, who may, with the manner in which the wording 'Arranged from the story by Hans Andersen' is arranged, well also have adapted it. If not it is by an anonymous adaptor.
Whatever, the story is told in a lovely sympathetic style and it seems to be slightly different from the original story - at least as I remember it. There seems to be a bit more detail in it but I may well be wrong!
A peasant lady sees a lovely flower and she is so attracted to it that she kisses it lightly. To her surprise the petals open to reveal a little maiden, scarcely taller than the maiden's thumb. Because of this the peasant called her Tiny Thumbelina.
TT was given a pretty polished walnut shell as a cradle with blue violet leaves for her mattress and a rose petal for her coverlet. Unfortunately one night a nasty old toad hopped in at the window, spotted TT and decided that she would make a wife for her son. So she stole TT complete with her cradle and took her to the muddy banks of the river where she and her son lived.
TT hated it all and in particular the toad's son, who she strongly disliked. So that TT could not make an escape, they tied her to a large green leaf in the middle of the river. Luckily the fishes saw her there and realised that she was unhappy as they had heard what the toad had said to her about marrying him. They, therefore, gnawed away the stalk and TT went sailing down the river.
A butterfly spotted her and TT used her sash to tie him to the leaf so she could be pulled along. But disaster struck when a Cock-chafer came along and snatched TT and took her to his nest in a nearby tree. TT lived all the summer in the woods and then she went for a walk in a cornfield and passed a Field Mouse's door.
The Field Mouse saw her, took her in and looked after her as well as introducing her to Mr Mole, who was blind and rich so he decided that he would marry TT. Once again TT was not happy with that arrangement.
Then when Mr Mole was taking her to his house, they came across a swallow that they thought was dead. But TT realised that she wasn't so once she was back at the Field Mouse's house and night fell, she returned to the swallow to see what she could do. And she nursed the bird back to good health. When the swallow was ready to go away he asked TT to fly away with him. But TT refused.
As time passed and the date for her wedding approached, TT wept at the thought. The Field Mouse was annoyed at this for she was very friendly with Mr Mole and wanted the marriage to take place. Luckily for TT, the swallow returned and saw her so he once again said he would take TT with him. This time TT agreed and off they went.
They arrived at the swallow's home and TT spotted a tiny figure in the fields below and he was wearing a gold crown. He turned out to be the King of the Fairies and he told TT that he would give her a prettier name and he called her Maia.
Time passed and the swallow flew back north again to his home in Denmark where he had a nest over the window of the man who wrote stories for children ... and that is where this story came from!
A delightful read and a rather nice period piece.
Whatever, the story is told in a lovely sympathetic style and it seems to be slightly different from the original story - at least as I remember it. There seems to be a bit more detail in it but I may well be wrong!
A peasant lady sees a lovely flower and she is so attracted to it that she kisses it lightly. To her surprise the petals open to reveal a little maiden, scarcely taller than the maiden's thumb. Because of this the peasant called her Tiny Thumbelina.
TT was given a pretty polished walnut shell as a cradle with blue violet leaves for her mattress and a rose petal for her coverlet. Unfortunately one night a nasty old toad hopped in at the window, spotted TT and decided that she would make a wife for her son. So she stole TT complete with her cradle and took her to the muddy banks of the river where she and her son lived.
TT hated it all and in particular the toad's son, who she strongly disliked. So that TT could not make an escape, they tied her to a large green leaf in the middle of the river. Luckily the fishes saw her there and realised that she was unhappy as they had heard what the toad had said to her about marrying him. They, therefore, gnawed away the stalk and TT went sailing down the river.
A butterfly spotted her and TT used her sash to tie him to the leaf so she could be pulled along. But disaster struck when a Cock-chafer came along and snatched TT and took her to his nest in a nearby tree. TT lived all the summer in the woods and then she went for a walk in a cornfield and passed a Field Mouse's door.
The Field Mouse saw her, took her in and looked after her as well as introducing her to Mr Mole, who was blind and rich so he decided that he would marry TT. Once again TT was not happy with that arrangement.
Then when Mr Mole was taking her to his house, they came across a swallow that they thought was dead. But TT realised that she wasn't so once she was back at the Field Mouse's house and night fell, she returned to the swallow to see what she could do. And she nursed the bird back to good health. When the swallow was ready to go away he asked TT to fly away with him. But TT refused.
As time passed and the date for her wedding approached, TT wept at the thought. The Field Mouse was annoyed at this for she was very friendly with Mr Mole and wanted the marriage to take place. Luckily for TT, the swallow returned and saw her so he once again said he would take TT with him. This time TT agreed and off they went.
They arrived at the swallow's home and TT spotted a tiny figure in the fields below and he was wearing a gold crown. He turned out to be the King of the Fairies and he told TT that he would give her a prettier name and he called her Maia.
Time passed and the swallow flew back north again to his home in Denmark where he had a nest over the window of the man who wrote stories for children ... and that is where this story came from!
A delightful read and a rather nice period piece.
August 15, 2024
Prince charming is as fake as he is charming, that is to say I miss him very much and I would ask you guys to tell him that as he won't return my calls....and I miss you 😭...and I love you 😭
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews