▸ 从前cóng qián，有个yǒu gè女人nǚ rén想要xiǎng yào个gè孩子hái zi，

Once upon a time, a woman wanted a child,

▸ 仙女xiān nǚ送sòng给gěi她tā一yī粒lì神奇shén qí的de大麦粒dà mài lì。

and a fairy gave her a magical barley grain.

▸ 女人nǚ rén种下zhòng xià它tā，开出kāi chū一yī朵duǒ花huā，

The woman planted it, and it grew into a flower,

▸ 花蕊huā ruǐ里lǐ坐着zuò zhe个gè只有zhǐ yǒu拇指mǔ zhǐ那么nà me大dà的de小xiǎo姑娘gū niang—

and in its center sat a girl as tiny as a thumb—

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu叫jiào她tā“拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang”！

everyone called her 'Thumbelina'!

▸ 一天yī tiān夜里yè lǐ，一只yī zhī老lǎo癞蛤蟆lài há ma偷偷tōu tōu抱走bào zǒu了le她tā：

One night, an old toad secretly took her away:

▸ “你nǐ给gěi我wǒ儿子ér zi当dāng新娘xīn niáng吧ba！”

'You will be my son’s bride!'

▸ 它tā把bǎ拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang放fàng在zài荷叶hé yè上shàng。

It placed Thumbelina on a lily pad.

▸ 小鱼xiǎo yú们men心疼xīn téng她tā，咬断yǎo duàn叶梗yè gěng，让ràng荷叶hé yè船chuán顺水shùn shuǐ流走liú zǒu。

Little fish pitied her, bit the stem, and let the lily pad float away.

▸ 路上lù shàng，金龟子jīn guī zǐ抓走zhuā zǒu了le她tā，

On the way, a beetle snatched her,

▸ 可kě其他qí tā金龟子jīn guī zǐ嫌xián她tā“只有zhǐ yǒu两liǎng条tiáo腿tuǐ，真zhēn丑chǒu！”，

but other beetles disliked her, saying, 'Only two legs, so ugly!',

▸ 又yòu把bǎ她tā丢diū在zài森林sēn lín里lǐ。

and abandoned her in the forest.

▸ 拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang又yòu冷lěng又yòu饿è，

Thumbelina was cold and hungry,

▸ 用yòng树叶shù yè当dāng被子bèi zi熬过áo guò了le冬天dōng tiān。

using leaves as a blanket to survive the winter.

▸ 春天chūn tiān来了lái le，她tā遇见yù jiàn田鼠tián shǔ婆婆pó po。

Spring came, and she met a field mouse grandmother.

▸ 好心hǎo xīn的de田鼠tián shǔ收留shōu liú了le她tā，

The kind field mouse took her in,

▸ 却què逼bī她tā嫁给jià gěi隔壁gé bì有钱yǒu qián的de鼹鼠yǎn shǔ。

but forced her to marry the wealthy mole next door.

▸ 拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang哭kū着zhe说shuō：“我wǒ不bù想xiǎng住zhù在zài地底下dì dǐ xià，见不到jiàn bù dào阳光yáng guāng！”

Thumbelina cried, 'I don’t want to live underground without sunlight!'

▸ 这时zhè shí，她tā救jiù过guò的de一只yī zhī燕子yàn zi飞来fēi lái：

Then, a swallow she had saved flew by:

▸ “快kuài骑qí到dào我wǒ背上bèi shàng！我wǒ带dài你nǐ去qù温暖wēn nuǎn的de地方dì fang！”

'Quick, ride on my back! I’ll take you to a warm place!'

▸ 燕子yàn zi飞fēi呀ya飞fēi，带dài她tā来到lái dào花儿huā ér的de王国wáng guó。

The swallow flew and flew, bringing her to the flower kingdom.

▸ 花丛huā cóng中zhōng的de王子wáng zǐ一yī见jiàn她tā就jiù笑xiào了le：

The prince among the flowers smiled when he saw her:

▸ “你nǐ像xiàng最zuì娇嫩jiāo nèn的de花苞huā bāo，愿意yuàn yì做zuò我wǒ的de王后wáng hòu吗ma？”

'You’re like a delicate flower bud, will you be my queen?'

▸ 拇指mǔ zhǐ姑娘gū niang终于zhōng yú笑xiào了le，轻轻qīng qīng点diǎn了le点头diǎn tóu。

Thumbelina finally smiled and gently nodded.

▸ 从此cóng cǐ，她tā和hé王子wáng zǐ在zài花瓣huā bàn宫殿gōng diàn里lǐ，过着guò zhe幸福xìng fú的de日子rì zi。

From then on, she lived happily with the prince in a petal palace.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.