The Complete Fairy Tales & Other Stories
By Hans Christian Andersen - online book

Oxford Complete Illustrated Edition all his stories written between 1835 and 1872.

Home Main Menu Order Support About Search



Share page  


Previous Contents Next

THUMBELINA
33
the Cockchafer flew with her up into the tree ! But especi­ally she was sorry for the fine white butterfly whom she had bound fast to the leaf, for, if he could not free himself from it, he would be forced to starve to death. The Cock­chafer, however, did not trouble himself at all about this. He seated himself with her upon the biggest green leaf of the tree, gave her the sweet part of the flowers to eat, and
declared that she was very pretty, though she did not in the least resemble a cockchafer. Afterwards came all the other cockchafers who lived in the tree to pay a visit: they looked at Thumbelina, and the lady cockchafers shrugged their feelers and said,
' Why, she has not even more than two legs !—that has a wretched appearance.'
' She has not any feelers ! ' cried another.
1 Her waist is quite slender—fie ! she looks like a human creature—how ugly she is !' said all the lady cockchafers.
And yet Thumbelina was very pretty. Even the Cock-
ANDERSEX                                                    ri
o