Tom Thumb
by Brothers Grimm · from Household Tales
Adapted Version
A kind man and woman lived. They wished for a child. "A tiny one, like my thumb!" Mother said. Soon, a boy came. He was Tom Thumb. His parents loved him much.
Tom Thumb was clever. The Father went for wood. He needed a cart. Tom Thumb said, "I drive!" He sat in horse's ear. He told the horse to go. The horse pulled the cart.
Two Strangers saw Tom Thumb. They wanted to show him. They asked The Father for him. The Father was sad. Tom Thumb said, "I will come back."
The Strangers walked. Tom Thumb jumped. He ran fast. He found a mouse-hole. He hid. He called, "Go home!" Slept in snail shell.
Tom Thumb heard Thieves. They wanted things. Tom Thumb said, "I help!" He went inside. He shouted, "Take it all!" Thieves ran. The Maid woke.
Tom Thumb hid in hay. He slept. A Maid took hay. Tom Thumb was in it. The cow ate hay. It ate. Tom Thumb was inside. He cried out. "Help me!" The Maid heard him. The Parson heard him. "The cow talks!" they said. "The cow must go away."
The cow went outside. It was in the field. A big wolf came. The wolf was hungry. It ate the cow. Tom Thumb was inside the wolf. He called out. "I know good food!" he said. "Go to my home!" The wolf was hungry. It went to Tom's home.
The wolf ate much food. It ate from the pantry. The wolf grew big. It could not leave. Tom Thumb made a noise. He shouted loud. The Father woke up. The Mother woke up. They saw the big wolf.
The Father was scared. He wanted to stop the wolf. Tom Thumb called out. "Father! I am here!" The Father stopped the wolf. He helped Tom out. Tom Thumb was free! His parents hugged him. They were so happy. Tom told his story. He stayed home always.
Tom Thumb was safe at home. He was happy with Mother and Father. They all lived happily ever after.
Original Story
Tom Thumb
A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
There was once a poor countryman who used to sit in the chimney-corner all evening and poke the fire, while his wife sat at her spinning-wheel. And he used to say, "How dull it is without any children about us; our house is so quiet, and other people's houses so noisy and merry!" - "Yes," answered his wife, and sighed, "if we could only have one, and that one ever so little, no bigger than my thumb, how happy I should be! It would, indeed, be having our heart's desire." Now, it happened that after a while the woman had a child who was perfect in all his limbs, but no bigger than a thumb. Then the parents said, "He is just what we wished for, and we will love him very much," and they named him according to his stature, "Tom Thumb." And though they gave him plenty of nourishment, he grew no bigger, but remained exactly the same size as when he was first born; and he had very good faculties, and was very quick and prudent, so that all he did prospered.
One day his father made ready to go into the forest to cut wood, and he said, as if to himself, "Now, I wish there was some one to bring the cart to meet me." - "O father," cried Tom Thumb, "I can bring the cart, let me alone for that, and in proper time, too!" Then the father laughed, and said, "How will you manage that? You are much too little to hold the reins." - "That has nothing to do with it, father; while my mother goes on with her spinning I will sit in the horse's ear and tell him where to go." - "Well," answered the father, "we will try it for once." When it was time to set off, the mother went on spinning, after setting Tom Thumb in the horse's ear; and so he drove off, crying, "Gee-up, gee-wo!" So the horse went on quite as if his master were driving him, and drew the waggon along the right road to the wood. Now it happened just as they turned a corner, and the little fellow was calling out "Gee-up!" that two strange men passed by. "Look," said one of them, "how is this? There goes a waggon, and the driver is calling to the horse, and yet he is nowhere to be seen." - "It is very strange," said the other; "we will follow the waggon, and see where it belongs." And the wagon went right through the wood, up to the place where the wood had been hewed. When Tom Thumb caught sight of his father, he cried out, "Look, father, here am I with the wagon; now, take me down." The father held the horse with his left hand, and with the right he lifted down his little son out of the horse's ear, and Tom Thumb sat down on a stump, quite happy and content. When the two strangers saw him they were struck dumb with wonder. At last one of them, taking the other aside, said to him, "Look here, the little chap would make our fortune if we were to show him in the town for money. Suppose we buy him." So they went up to the woodcutter, and said, "Sell the little man to us; we will take care he shall come to no harm." - "No," answered the father; "he is the apple of my eye, and not for all the money in the world would I sell him." But Tom Thumb, when he heard what was going on, climbed up by his father's coat tails, and, perching himself on his shoulder, he whispered in his ear, "Father, you might as well let me go. I will soon come back again." Then the father gave him up to the two men for a large piece of money. They asked him where he would like to sit, "Oh, put me on the brim of your hat," said he. "There I can walk about and view the country, and be in no danger of falling off." So they did as he wished, and when Tom Thumb had taken leave of his father, they set off all together. And they travelled on until it grew dusk, and the little fellow asked to be set down a little while for a change, and after some difficulty they consented. So the man took him down from his hat, and set him in a field by the roadside, and he ran away directly, and, after creeping about among the furrows, he slipped suddenly into a mouse-hole, just what he was looking for. "Good evening, my masters, you can go home without me!"cried he to them, laughing. They ran up and felt about with their sticks in the mouse-hole, but in vain. Tom Thumb crept farther and farther in, and as it was growing dark, they had to make the best of their way home, full of vexation, and with empty purses.
When Tom Thumb found they were gone, he crept out of his hiding-place underground. "It is dangerous work groping about these holes in the darkness," said he; "I might easily break my neck." But by good fortune he came upon an empty snail shell. "That's all right," said he. "Now I can get safely through the night;" and he settled himself down in it. Before he had time to get to sleep, he heard two men pass by, and one was saying to the other, "How can we manage to get hold of the rich parson's gold and silver?" - "I can tell you how," cried Tom Thumb. "How is this?" said one of the thieves, quite frightened, "I hear some one speak!" So they stood still and listened, and Tom Thumb spoke again. "Take me with you; I will show you how to do it!" - "Where are you, then?" asked they. "Look about on the ground and notice where the voice comes from," answered he. At last they found him, and lifted him up. "You little elf," said they, "how can you help us?" - "Look here," answered he, "I can easily creep between the iron bars of the parson's room and hand out to you whatever you would like to have." - "Very well," said they, ff we will try what you can do." So when they came to the parsonage-house, Tom Thumb crept into the room, but cried out with all his might, "Will you have all that is here?" So the thieves were terrified, and said, "Do speak more softly, lest any one should be awaked." But Tom Thumb made as if he did not hear them, and cried out again, "What would you like? will you have all that is here?" so that the cook, who was sleeping in a room hard by, heard it, and raised herself in bed and listened. The thieves, however, in their fear of being discovered, had run back part of the way, but they took courage again, thinking that it was only a jest of the little fellow's. So they came back and whispered to him to be serious, and to hand them out something. Then Tom Thumb called out once more as loud as he could, "Oh yes, I will give it all to you, only put out your hands." Then the listening maid heard him distinctly that time, and jumped out of bed, and burst open the door. The thieves ran off as if the wild huntsman were behind them; but the maid, as she could see nothing, went to fetch a light. And when she came back with one, Tom Thumb had taken himself off, without being seen by her, into the barn; and the maid, when she had looked in every hole and corner and found nothing, went back to bed at last, and thought that she must have been dreaming with her eyes and ears open.
So Tom Thumb crept among the hay, and found a comfortable nook to sleep in, where he intended to remain until it was day, and then to go home to his father and mother. But other things were to befall him; indeed, there is nothing but trouble and worry in this world! The maid got up at dawn of day to feed the cows. The first place she went to was the barn, where she took up an armful of hay, and it happened to be the very heap in which Tom Thumb lay asleep. And he was so fast asleep, that he was aware of nothing, and never waked until he was in the mouth of the cow, who had taken him up with the hay. "Oh dear," cried he, "how is it that I have got into a mill!" but he soon found out where he was, and he had to be very careful not to get between the cow's teeth, and at last he had to descend into the cow's stomach. "The windows were forgotten when this little room was built," said he, "and the sunshine cannot get in; there is no light to be had." His quarters were in every way unpleasant to him, and, what was the worst, new hay was constantly coming in, and the space was being filled up. At last he cried out in his extremity, as loud as he could, "No more hay for me! no more hay for me!" The maid was then milking the cow, and as she heard a voice, but could see no one, and as it was the same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so frightened that she fell off her stool, and spilt the milk. Then she ran in great haste to her master, crying, "Oh, master dear, the cow spoke!" - "You must be crazy," answered her master, and he went himself to the cow-house to see what was the matter. No sooner had he put his foot inside the door, than Tom Thumb cried out again, "No more hay for me! no more hay for me!" Then the parson himself was frightened, supposing that a bad spirit had entered into the cow, and he ordered her to be put to death. So she was killed, but the stomach, where Tom Thumb was lying, was thrown upon a dunghill. Tom Thumb had great trouble to work his way out of it, and he had just made a space big enough for his head to go through, when a new misfortune happened. A hungry wolf ran up and swallowed the whole stomach at one gulp. But Tom Thumb did not lose courage. "Perhaps," thought he, "the wolf will listen to reason," and he cried out from the inside of the wolf," My dear wolf, I can tell you where to get a splendid meal!" - "Where is it to be had?" asked the wolf. "In such and such a house, and you must creep into it through the drain, and there you will find cakes and bacon and broth, as much as you can eat," and he described to him his father's house. The wolf needed not to be told twice. He squeezed himself through the drain in the night, and feasted in the store-room to his heart's content. When, at last, he was satisfied, he wanted to go away again, but he had become so big, that to creep the same way back was impossible. This Tom Thumb had reckoned upon, and began to make a terrible din inside the wolf, crying and calling as loud as he could. "Will you be quiet?" said the wolf; "you will wake the folks up!" - "Look here," cried the little man, "you are very well satisfied, and now I will do something for my own enjoyment," and began again to make all the noise he could. At last the father and mother were awakened, and they ran to the room-door and peeped through the chink, and when they saw a wolf in occupation, they ran and fetched weapons - the man an axe, and the wife a scythe. "Stay behind," said the man, as they entered the room; "when I have given him a blow, and it does not seem to have killed him, then you must cut at him with your scythe." Then Tom Thumb heard his father's voice, and cried, "Dear father; I am here in the wolfs inside." Then the father called out full of joy, "Thank heaven that we have found our dear child!" and told his wife to keep the scythe out of the way, lest Tom Thumb should be hurt with it. Then he drew near and struck the wolf such a blow on the head that he fell down dead; and then" he fetched a knife and a pair of scissors, slit up the wolf's body, and let out the little fellow. "Oh, what anxiety we have felt about you!" said the father. "Yes, father, I have seen a good deal of the world, and I am very glad to breathe fresh air again." - "And where have you been all this time?" asked his father. "Oh, I have been in a mouse-hole and a snail's shell, in a cow's stomach and a wolfs inside: now, I think, I will stay at home." - "And we will not part with you for all the kingdoms of the world," cried the parents, as they kissed and hugged their dear little Tom Thumb. And they gave him something to eat and drink, and a new suit of clothes, as his old ones were soiled with travel.
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Story DNA
Plot Summary
A poor couple's wish for a child, even one as small as a thumb, is granted. Their son, Tom Thumb, proves incredibly resourceful despite his size. He helps his father, but is then sold to two men who want to exploit him. Tom escapes them and later thwarts a pair of thieves. His adventures continue as he is accidentally swallowed by a cow, then by a wolf. Using his wits, Tom guides the wolf to his parents' home, where he is finally rescued and joyfully reunited with his family, vowing to stay home after his perilous journey.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anxiety to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This version is from the Brothers Grimm, collected and published in 19th-century Germany, reflecting common folk tales and rural life of the period.
Plot Beats (14)
- A poor couple wishes for a child, even one as small as a thumb, and their wish is granted with the birth of Tom Thumb.
- Tom Thumb, though tiny, is clever and helps his father by driving a horse and cart to the forest by sitting in the horse's ear.
- Two strangers, witnessing this, buy Tom Thumb from his father, intending to display him for money.
- Tom Thumb escapes the strangers by hiding in a mouse-hole and then finds shelter in a snail shell for the night.
- He overhears two thieves planning to rob a parson and offers to help them, but instead, he shouts loudly inside the parson's house, scaring the thieves away and alerting the maid.
- Tom Thumb hides in the barn's hay, but is accidentally scooped up and swallowed by a cow eating the hay.
- Inside the cow's stomach, he cries out, startling the maid and the parson, who believe the cow is possessed and order it killed.
- The cow's stomach, with Tom Thumb inside, is thrown on a dunghill, where a wolf swallows it whole.
- Tom Thumb, now inside the wolf, tricks the wolf into going to his parents' house by promising a feast.
- The wolf eats his fill at Tom Thumb's parents' pantry and becomes too big to leave the way he came.
- Tom Thumb makes a loud noise inside the wolf, waking his parents, who discover the wolf.
- His father prepares to kill the wolf, but Tom Thumb calls out from inside, revealing his presence.
- His parents kill the wolf, cut it open, and free Tom Thumb.
- Tom Thumb is joyfully reunited with his parents, recounts his adventures, and decides to stay home.
Characters
★
Tom Thumb
A human boy, perfectly formed in all his limbs, but no bigger than an adult's thumb. His proportions are miniature, not distorted. He is light enough to sit on a hat brim or be carried in a horse's ear.
Attire: Initially, he wears simple, soiled clothes from his travels. At the end, he is given a new suit of clothes, likely a miniature version of a German peasant boy's attire: a small linen shirt, short breeches, and a tiny waistcoat, possibly in muted earth tones.
Wants: To return home to his parents and to survive the various predicaments he finds himself in.
Flaw: His extreme smallness makes him vulnerable to being overlooked, swallowed, or trapped in everyday objects.
He starts as a beloved but sheltered child, then embarks on an involuntary adventure that tests his wit and courage. He returns home having 'seen a good deal of the world,' more experienced and appreciated by his parents.
Prudent, quick-witted, brave, resourceful, and a bit mischievous. He is not easily deterred by danger or his small size.
◆
The Father
A sturdy, hardworking countryman, likely with a weathered face and strong hands from his work as a woodcutter. He would have a practical, robust build.
Attire: Typical German peasant attire of the period: a coarse linen shirt, sturdy wool trousers, a simple tunic or waistcoat, and practical leather boots. His clothes would be functional and well-worn, in muted earth tones like brown, grey, or forest green.
Wants: To provide for his family and to ensure the safety and well-being of his beloved son, Tom Thumb.
Flaw: His initial willingness to sell Tom Thumb, albeit at his son's urging, shows a momentary lapse in judgment due to financial temptation.
Starts as a loving father, briefly swayed by the prospect of money, but ultimately reaffirms his unconditional love and commitment to his son, becoming even more protective.
Loving, practical, initially a bit skeptical but open-minded, and deeply concerned for his son's safety. He is also decisive when protecting his family.
◆
The Mother
A hardworking countrywoman, likely slender from her spinning work, with a gentle but resilient demeanor.
Attire: Traditional German peasant dress: a long, practical linen or wool dress, possibly with a simple apron over it, in muted colors like blue, green, or brown. She would wear a headscarf or cap to keep her hair tidy while working.
Wants: To nurture and protect her family, especially her unique son, Tom Thumb.
Flaw: Her deep love for Tom Thumb makes her vulnerable to anxiety and fear for his safety.
Remains a constant source of love and worry for Tom Thumb, her character emphasizing the theme of parental devotion.
Loving, patient, longing for children, and deeply affectionate towards Tom Thumb. She is also brave when protecting her family.
⚔
The Two Strangers
Two ordinary-looking men, perhaps a bit rough around the edges, dressed in common traveler's clothes. They are not physically imposing but appear opportunistic.
Attire: Practical, somewhat worn traveling clothes typical of the era for common men: tunics, breeches, simple cloaks, and sturdy boots, likely in drab colors like grey, brown, or dark green.
Wants: To exploit Tom Thumb for financial gain by exhibiting him for money.
Flaw: Their greed and lack of foresight, which allows Tom Thumb to easily escape them.
They serve as a plot device to remove Tom Thumb from his home and introduce him to the wider world, ultimately failing in their greedy endeavor.
Opportunistic, greedy, easily astonished, and ultimately foolish. They are driven by the desire for quick money.
⚔
The Thieves
Two men, likely of a rougher appearance than the strangers, suggesting a life of crime. They would be dressed to blend in or to move stealthily.
Attire: Dark, practical clothing suitable for night work and stealth: dark wool cloaks, simple tunics, and trousers, possibly with hoods. Colors would be dark greys, browns, or blacks to aid in concealment.
Wants: To steal gold and silver from the rich parson.
Flaw: Their fear of being discovered, which Tom Thumb expertly exploits.
They serve as a further obstacle for Tom Thumb, allowing him to demonstrate his cleverness and escape another predicament.
Greedy, easily frightened, and somewhat gullible, believing Tom Thumb can genuinely help them.
○
The Maid
A working maid, likely of average build, accustomed to physical labor.
Attire: A practical, simple dress of linen or wool, possibly with an apron, in muted colors. Her clothing would be functional for a servant in a parsonage.
Wants: To perform her duties at the parsonage.
Flaw: Her superstitious nature and fear, which Tom Thumb inadvertently triggers.
A minor character who serves to move the plot forward by discovering Tom Thumb's presence in the parsonage and later in the cow.
Diligent, easily frightened, and prone to believing in supernatural explanations when confronted with the unexplainable.
○
The Parson
A well-fed, respectable man, reflecting his comfortable position as a parson.
Attire: Formal, dark clerical attire of the period: a black cassock or a dark suit with a white collar, indicating his religious profession and status.
Wants: To maintain order and peace in his household.
Flaw: His susceptibility to superstition and fear, leading him to rash decisions like ordering the cow's death.
A minor character who reacts to the chaos caused by Tom Thumb, highlighting the little boy's disruptive presence.
Respectable, initially skeptical, but quickly becomes superstitious and fearful when confronted with the unexplainable.
⚔
The Wolf
A large, hungry, grey wolf, with powerful jaws and a lean, muscular body. Its fur would be thick and coarse, with keen, predatory eyes.
Attire: None, as it is a wild animal.
Wants: To find food and satisfy its hunger.
Flaw: Its insatiable hunger and gullibility, which Tom Thumb exploits.
Serves as the final, most dangerous obstacle for Tom Thumb, ultimately leading to the boy's dramatic rescue and return home.
Hungry, opportunistic, and easily tricked by the promise of food. It is also easily annoyed by noise.
Locations
Poor Countryman's Cottage
A simple, rustic German cottage interior, likely a Fachwerk house, with a prominent stone chimney-corner where the father sits, and a spinning-wheel where the mother works. The atmosphere is quiet and humble.
Mood: Quiet, humble, longing, later joyful
Tom Thumb is born and lives his early life here, demonstrating his cleverness by offering to drive the cart.
Forest Road and Woodcutting Site
A winding dirt road leading through a dense German forest, with tall, mature trees and undergrowth. The woodcutting site features felled trees and stumps. The air is fresh and natural.
Mood: Natural, industrious, later suspenseful
Tom Thumb drives the cart by sitting in the horse's ear, impressing two strangers who then buy him from his father.
Parsonage House Interior
The interior of a German parsonage house, likely a more substantial and well-kept dwelling than the countryman's cottage. It includes a room with iron bars on the windows and an adjacent room where the cook sleeps. The atmosphere is initially quiet, then becomes chaotic and alarming.
Mood: Tense, quiet, then chaotic and frightening
Tom Thumb helps two thieves attempt to rob the parsonage, but his loud calls accidentally alert the cook, scaring the thieves away.
Barn and Cow-house
A rustic German barn filled with hay, offering nooks for sleeping. Adjacent is a cow-house with stalls for cows and milking stools. The air is dusty with hay and smells of livestock.
Mood: Initially peaceful, then bewildering and frightening
Tom Thumb sleeps in the hay, is accidentally fed to a cow, and his cries from inside the cow lead to the cow's demise and his eventual escape onto a dunghill.