Two
orange fish heard Thumbelina weeping and saw the lily pad she was sitting on.
“We should help her,” both said at the same time. Immediately they swam over to Thumbelina’s lily pad and
chewed at her lily stalk until she broke free.
“Oh! Thank you! Thank you so much,” Thumbelina exclaimed, waving goodbye to the fish as she began float away downstream.
As Thumbelina
traveled down the river, her heart was filled with all the wonder of the world outside. She saw the beautiful stars in the sky; she heard the sounds of crickets chirping; and she could smell
the lovely aroma of the flowers surrounding the river’s edge.
Suddenly a beautiful purple butterfly flew next to her, following her path down the river. Thumbelina gazed in surprise at the
butterfly’s magnificent wings flapping beside her.
She cried out in joy and clapped her hands as the butterfly flew off into the rising sun. Thumbelina yawned and fell asleep once more
until the sun had risen high above her.
When she awoke, she found herself at the river’s edge in a land even farther away from her dear old mother. Thumbelina tried to ignore her
sadness during the summer months by surrounding herself with all the flowers and sun she could. She became friends with butterflies, and dragonflies, and bumblebees. She could hear the
chirping of birds above her. She was happy once more.
Two
orange fish heard Thumbelina weeping and saw the lily pad she was sitting on. 
Suddenly a beautiful purple butterfly flew next to her, following her path down the river. Thumbelina gazed in surprise at the
butterfly’s magnificent wings flapping beside her.