[ADVENTURES of TOM THUMB](#contents)
by Unknown · from Favorite Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, in a small house, lived a family. There was a Father, a Mother, and seven little boys. The youngest boy was Tom Thumb. He was very, very small.
Food was scarce. The Father and Mother were sad. They had no food for their seven boys. They made a hard choice. They would take them to the forest. They hoped to find food there.
Tom Thumb heard his parents talk. He was very smart. He had a good idea. He went to the river. He got many small white stones. He put them in his pocket.
Next day, they walked to the forest. Father and Mother went to find food. The boys waited. Tom Thumb dropped his white stones. One by one, they fell. The stones showed the way home.
The children found their home. Mother and Father were happy. But soon, food was scarce again. They had no money. Father and Mother felt sad. They planned another trip for food.
Tom Thumb got a piece of bread. He broke it into small crumbs. He dropped crumbs on the path. But birds ate all the crumbs. The children were lost. They felt very scared.
Tom Thumb climbed a tall tree. He saw a light far away. He led his brothers to the light. They came to a big house. It was the house of The Big Ogre. He was a very scary man.
Ogre's Wife opened the door. She felt sad for the boys. She hid them under a bed. The Big Ogre came home. He smelled children. He was very hungry. He wanted to keep the boys. This was scary.
The Big Ogre had seven girls. They wore gold crowns. Tom Thumb had a plan. He took off their crowns. He put nightcaps on their heads. He put crowns on his brothers.
In the night, The Big Ogre woke up. He went to the bed. He felt the nightcaps. He made a big mistake. He thought they were the boys. He scared his own girls away. They ran from the house.
Tom Thumb heard the Ogre snore. He woke his brothers up. They dressed very fast. They walked out of the house. They were safe. Tom Thumb led them away.
The Big Ogre saw his mistake. He was very angry. He had magic boots. They were seven-league boots. He put them on his feet. He ran to find the boys.
The boys saw The Big Ogre coming. They hid under a rock. The Ogre was tired. He fell asleep there. Tom Thumb crept out. He took the magic boots.
Tom Thumb put on the boots. They fit his small feet. He ran very fast. He earned much money. His family was safe now. They had food always.
The Big Ogre woke up. His boots were gone. He walked into a big swamp. He got stuck in the mud. He could not get out. The Big Ogre was never seen again.
Tom Thumb was small. He was very smart. He helped his family. They lived happily. Being smart helps you win.
Original Story
ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB
A LONG time ago, a woodcutter lived with his wife in a small cottage not far from a great forest. They had seven children—all boys; and the youngest was the smallest little fellow ever seen. He was called Tom Thumb. But though he was so small, he was far cleverer than any of his brothers, and he heard a great deal more than anybody ever imagined.
It happened that just at this time there was a famine in the land, and the woodcutter and his wife became so poor that they could no longer give their boys enough to eat.
One night—after the boys had gone to bed—the husband sighing deeply, said—
"We cannot feed our children any longer, and to see them starve before our eyes is more than I can bear. To-morrow morning, therefore, we will take them into the forest and leave them in the thickest part of it, so that they will not be able to find their way back."
His wife wept bitterly at the thought of leaving their children to perish in the forest; but she, too, thought it better than to see them die before her eyes. So she consented to her husband's plan.
But all this time Tom Thumb had been awake, and he had overheard all the conversation. He lay awake a long while thinking what to do. Then, slipping quietly out of bed, he ran down to the river and filled his pocket with small white pebbles from the river's brink.
In the morning the parents called the children, and, after giving them a crust of bread, they all set out for the wood. Tom Thumb did not say a word to his brothers of what he had overheard; but, lingering behind, he dropped the pebbles from his pocket one by one, as they walked, so that he should be able to find his way home. When they reached a very thick part of the forest, the father and mother told the children to wait while they went a little farther to cut wood, but as soon as they were out of sight they turned and went home by another way.
When darkness fell, the children began to realize that they were deserted, and they began to cry loudly. Tom Thumb, however, did not cry.
"Do not weep, my brothers," he said encouragingly. "Only wait until the moon rises, and we shall soon be able to find our way home."
When at length the moon rose, it shone down upon the white pebbles which Tom Thumb had scattered; and, following this path, the children soon reached their father's house.
But at first they were afraid to go in, and waited outside the door to hear what their parents were talking about.
Now, it happened that when the father and mother reached home, they found a rich gentleman had sent them ten crowns, in payment for work which had been done long before. The wife went out at once and bought bread and meat, and she and her husband sat down to make a hearty meal. But the mother could not forget her little ones; and at last she cried to her husband:
"Alas! where are our poor children? How they would have enjoyed this good feast!"
The children, listening at the door, heard this and cried out, "Here we are, mother; here we are!" and, overjoyed, the mother flew to let them in and kissed them all round.
Their parents were delighted to have their little ones with them again; but soon the ten crowns were spent, and they found themselves as badly off as before. Once more they agreed to leave the children in the forest, and once again Tom Thumb overheard them. This time he did not trouble himself very much; he thought it would be easy for him to do as he had done before. He got up very early the next morning to go and get the pebbles; but, to his dismay, he found the house door securely locked. Then, indeed, he did not know what to do, and for a little while he was in great distress. However, at breakfast the mother gave each of the children a slice of bread, and Tom Thumb thought he would manage to make his piece of bread do as well as the pebbles, by breaking it up and dropping the crumbs as he went.
This time the father and mother took the children still deeper and farther into the wood, and then, slipping away, left them alone.
Tom Thumb consoled his brothers as before; but when he came to look for the crumbs of bread, not one of them was left. The birds had eaten them all up, and the poor children were lost in the forest, with no possible means of finding their way home.
Tom Thumb did not lose courage. He climbed to the top of a high tree and looked round to see if there was any way of getting help. In the distance he saw a light burning, and, coming down from the tree, he led his brothers toward the house from which it came.
When they knocked at the door, it was opened by a pleasant-looking woman, and Tom Thumb told her they were poor children who had lost their road, and begged her to give them a night's shelter.
"Alas, my poor children!" said the woman, "you do not know where you have come to. This is the house of an ogre who eats up little boys and girls."
"But, madam," replied Tom Thumb, "what shall we do? If we go back to the forest we are certain to be torn to pieces by the wolves. We had better, I think, stay and be eaten by the ogre."
The ogre's wife had pity on the little things, and she thought she would be able to hide them from her husband for one night. She took them in, gave them food, and let them warm themselves by the fire.
Very soon there came a loud knocking at the door. It was the ogre come home. His wife hid the children under the bed, and then hurried to let her husband in.
No sooner had the ogre entered than he began to sniff this way and that. "I smell flesh," he said, looking round the room.
"It must be the calf which has just been killed," said his wife.
"I smell child's flesh, I tell you!" cried the ogre, and he suddenly made a dive under the bed, and drew out the children one by one.
"Oh, ho, madam!" said he; "so you thought to cheat me, did you? But, really, this is very lucky! I have invited three ogres to dinner to-morrow; these brats will make a nice dish."
He fetched a huge knife and began sharpening it, while the poor boys fell on their knees and begged for mercy. But their prayers and entreaties were useless. The ogre seized one of the children and was just about to kill him, when his wife said—
"What in the world makes you take the trouble of killing them to-night? Why don't you leave them till the morning? There will be plenty of time, and they will be much fresher."
"That is very true," said the ogre, throwing down the knife. "Give them a good supper, so that they may not get lean, and send them to bed."
Now, the ogre had seven young daughters, who were all about the same age as Tom Thumb and his brothers. These young ogresses all slept together in one large bed, and every one of them had a crown of gold on her head. There was another bed of the same size in the room, and in this the ogre's wife, having provided them all with nightcaps, put the seven little boys.
But Tom Thumb was afraid that the ogre might change his mind in the night, and kill him and his brothers while they were asleep. So he crept softly out of bed, took off his brothers' nightcaps and his own, and stole over to the bed where the young ogresses lay. He drew off their crowns very gently, and put the nightcaps on their heads instead. Then he put the crowns on his brothers' heads and his own, and got into bed again.
In the middle of the night the ogre woke up, and began to be sorry that he had put off killing the boys until the morning.
"Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day," he said; and, jumping out of bed, he got his knife and walked stealthily to the room where the boys were. He walked up to the bed, and they were all asleep except Tom Thumb, who, however, kept his eyes fast shut, and did not show that he was awake. The ogre touched their heads, one after another, and feeling the crowns of gold, he said to himself:
"What a mistake I was going to make!" He then went to bed where his own daughters were sleeping, and, feeling the nightcaps, he said:
"Oh, ho, here you are, my lads!" and in a moment he had killed them all. He then went back to his own room to sleep till morning.
As soon as Tom Thumb heard him snoring, he roused his brothers, and told them to dress quickly and follow him. He led them downstairs and out of the house; and then, stealing on tiptoe through the garden, they jumped down from the wall into the road and ran swiftly away.
In the morning, when the ogre found what a dreadful thing he had done, he was terribly shocked.
"Fetch me my seven-league boots," he cried to his wife. "I will go and catch those young vipers. They shall pay for this piece of work!" And, drawing on the magic boots, the ogre set out.
He went striding over the country, stepping from mountain to mountain, and crossing rivers as if they had been streams. The poor children watched him coming in fear and trembling. They had found the way to their father's home, and had very nearly reached it when they saw the ogre racing after them.
Tom Thumb thought for a moment what was to be done. Then he saw a hollow place under a large rock.
"Get in there," he said to his brothers.
When they were all in he crept in himself, but kept his eyes fixed on the ogre, to see what he would do.
The ogre, seeing nothing of the children, sat down to rest himself on the very rock under which the poor boys were hiding. He was tired with his journey, and soon fell fast asleep, and began to snore so loudly that the little fellows were terrified. Tom Thumb told his brothers to creep out softly and run home; which they did. Then he crept up to the ogre, pulled off the seven-league boots very gently and put them on his own feet, for being fairy boots they could fit themselves to any foot, however small.
As soon as Tom Thumb had put on the ogre's seven-league boots, he took ten steps to the Palace, which was seventy miles off, and asked to see the King. He offered to carry news to the King's army, which was then a long way off; and so useful was he with his magic boots, that in a short time he had made money enough to keep himself, his father, his mother and his six brothers without the trouble of working for the rest of their lives.
And now let us see what has become of the wicked ogre, whom we left sleeping on the rock.
When he awoke he missed his seven-league boots, and set off for home very angry.
On his way he had to cross a bog; and, forgetting that he was no longer wearing his magic boots, he tried to cross it with one stride. But, instead, he put his foot down in the middle and began to sink. As fast as he tried to pull out one foot, the other sank deeper, until at last he was swallowed up in the black slime—and that was the end of him.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the smallest and weakest can overcome great dangers through intelligence and quick thinking.
Plot Summary
During a famine, a poor woodcutter and his wife decide to abandon their seven sons in the forest. The youngest, Tom Thumb, overhears their plan and uses white pebbles to lead his brothers home after the first abandonment. When they are abandoned a second time, Tom Thumb's breadcrumb trail fails, leading them to an ogre's house. Tom Thumb cleverly outwits the ogre by swapping his brothers' nightcaps with the golden crowns of the ogre's daughters, causing the ogre to mistakenly kill his own children. The boys escape, and Tom Thumb steals the ogre's seven-league boots, using them to gain wealth and ensure his family's prosperity, while the ogre perishes in a bog.
Themes
Emotional Arc
abandonment to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This version of Tom Thumb is often attributed to Charles Perrault, a French author, and reflects common anxieties about poverty and child abandonment in pre-industrial Europe.
Plot Beats (14)
- A woodcutter and his wife, unable to feed their seven sons during a famine, decide to abandon them in the forest.
- Tom Thumb overhears the plan and secretly gathers white pebbles to mark their path.
- The parents lead the children deep into the forest and leave them, but Tom Thumb uses the pebbles to guide his brothers home.
- The parents are initially happy to see them, but soon run out of money and plan a second abandonment.
- Tom Thumb tries to use breadcrumbs this time, but birds eat them, leaving the children truly lost.
- Tom Thumb spots a light and leads his brothers to a house, which turns out to be the home of an ogre.
- The ogre's wife, taking pity, hides them, but the ogre discovers them and plans to eat them the next day.
- Tom Thumb secretly swaps his brothers' nightcaps with the golden crowns of the ogre's seven daughters.
- In the night, the ogre, mistaking the nightcaps for the boys, kills his own daughters.
- Tom Thumb and his brothers escape the ogre's house.
- The ogre discovers his mistake, puts on his seven-league boots, and pursues the children.
- Tom Thumb hides his brothers and himself under a rock, then steals the boots from the sleeping ogre.
- Tom Thumb uses the seven-league boots to travel quickly, make money, and secure his family's future.
- The ogre, without his magic boots, attempts to cross a bog and sinks to his death.
Characters
Tom Thumb
Extremely small in stature, the smallest little fellow ever seen, but otherwise a normal human boy. He is nimble and quick due to his size.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant boy's clothing suitable for a woodcutter's son in a European setting, likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted earth tones. Perhaps a tunic and breeches.
Wants: To protect himself and his brothers, to ensure their survival, and ultimately to provide for his family.
Flaw: His physical smallness makes him vulnerable to larger threats and physical challenges.
Starts as a clever but vulnerable child dependent on his family, becomes a self-sufficient, wealthy provider and hero who saves his family from poverty and danger.
Clever, resourceful, courageous, observant, protective, quick-witted.
The Woodcutter
A man of average height and build, likely lean and strong from his physical labor as a woodcutter. His hands would be calloused and rough.
Attire: Practical, worn peasant clothing: a coarse wool or linen tunic, sturdy breeches, and heavy leather boots, all in muted, earthy tones. Perhaps a simple leather belt and a cap.
Wants: To alleviate his family's suffering from famine, even if it means making terrible choices.
Flaw: Lack of foresight, emotional weakness, easily gives in to despair and drastic measures.
Starts as a desperate man willing to abandon his children, but his underlying love for them resurfaces, and he is ultimately saved from poverty by Tom Thumb.
Desperate, conflicted, regretful, easily swayed by immediate circumstances.
The Wife (Tom Thumb's Mother)
A woman of average height and build, likely thin from hardship. Her features would show the strain of poverty and worry.
Attire: Simple, mended peasant dress made of coarse linen or homespun wool, likely in muted colors like grey, brown, or faded blue. Perhaps a simple apron and head covering.
Wants: To prevent her children from starving, even if it means abandoning them, driven by maternal love and despair.
Flaw: Emotional vulnerability, inability to stand up to her husband's desperate plans, easily overcome by grief.
Starts as a desperate mother agreeing to abandon her children, but her maternal instincts lead her to regret the decision, and she is ultimately reunited with and provided for by Tom Thumb.
Emotional, conflicted, regretful, loving but easily swayed by desperation.
The Ogre
A huge, monstrous figure, much larger than a human man, with a powerful, brutish build. He is described as having a keen sense of smell for 'child's flesh'.
Attire: Rough, oversized clothing, perhaps made of animal hides or coarse, dark fabric, reflecting his savage nature. It would be practical for his large size and lifestyle, not refined.
Wants: To satisfy his hunger for human flesh, particularly children, and to assert his dominance.
Flaw: His overconfidence, impulsiveness, and lack of intelligence, which Tom Thumb exploits.
Remains a villain throughout, ultimately outsmarted and destroyed by Tom Thumb, sinking into a bog.
Cruel, cannibalistic, greedy, short-tempered, somewhat dim-witted, overconfident.
The Ogre's Wife
A large woman, likely robust and strong, but less monstrous than her husband. She is described as 'pleasant-looking' initially, suggesting a more human-like appearance.
Attire: Sturdy, practical clothing suitable for a large woman living in a forest dwelling, perhaps a dark, heavy dress or tunic made of coarse fabric, possibly with an apron. Less refined than human peasant clothing, but not as savage as the Ogre's.
Wants: To survive her husband's wrath, to maintain some semblance of order in her home, and occasionally to show mercy.
Flaw: Her fear of the Ogre, which prevents her from truly protecting the children.
Remains largely static, a figure caught between her husband's cruelty and her own fleeting pity, ultimately outsmarted by Tom Thumb.
Pitiable, somewhat kind-hearted (towards the children), fearful of her husband, complicit in his actions but with moments of mercy.
Locations
Woodcutter's Cottage
A small, humble cottage, likely constructed with local timber and a thatched roof, typical of a poor family in a European forest setting. The interior would be simple, with a main living area and a shared sleeping space for the seven boys. The door is a key element, sometimes locked.
Mood: Initially desperate and sorrowful due to famine, later relieved and joyous upon the children's return, then anxious again.
The parents plot to abandon their children; Tom Thumb overhears; the children return after being abandoned; the family celebrates a brief windfall.
The Great Forest
A vast, dense European forest, likely composed of deciduous and coniferous trees, with thick undergrowth making navigation difficult. Features include a river's brink with small white pebbles, and later, a very thick, disorienting part where the children are left. It becomes a place of danger and uncertainty.
Mood: Initially deceptive, then terrifying and desolate when the children are abandoned, later hopeful when Tom Thumb finds a light.
The children are led into the forest and abandoned; Tom Thumb uses pebbles and then breadcrumbs to mark their way; the children get lost; Tom Thumb climbs a tree to spot a light.
The Ogre's House
A large, formidable house, likely a fortified dwelling or a dark, imposing manor, reflecting the ogre's menacing nature. It contains a main room with a fire, and a sleeping chamber with two large beds. The atmosphere is initially welcoming due to the wife's pity, but quickly turns terrifying.
Mood: Initially a false sense of security, then extreme terror and suspense, followed by a tense escape.
Tom Thumb and his brothers seek shelter; the ogre discovers them; the ogre's wife delays the killing; Tom Thumb swaps the crowns and nightcaps; the ogre kills his own daughters by mistake; the boys escape.
Hollow under a Large Rock
A natural hiding spot, a small, dark hollow beneath a massive, weathered rock formation. The rock itself is large enough for the ogre to sit on, providing a precarious cover for the children.
Mood: Extremely tense and fearful, with a sense of claustrophobic danger.
The children hide from the pursuing ogre; the ogre sits on the rock and falls asleep; Tom Thumb steals the seven-league boots.