Thumbling's Travels

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age6–10
Reading time12 min
LevelIntermediate

Introduction

'Thumbling's Travels' is the 45th tale in Grimm, and it is really the 'sequel' to the famous 'Thumbling' (no. 37) — the string of adventures that befall the thumb-sized tailor's son once he grows up and sets out into the world. Folklorists class such 'tiny-person' tales as ATU 700, and the 'pocket-sized hero' may be one of the most universal characters in all the world's folklore: England has Tom Thumb, Denmark and France each their own, and dearest to Eastern readers is Japan's Issun-bōshi, the 'One-Inch Boy' who floats downstream in a rice bowl wielding an embroidery needle as his sword — cut from almost exactly the same cloth as our Thumbling with his darning-needle blade. In structure this story is a 'picaresque': it has no single plot running through it, but strings together separate little escapades — the chimney, outwitting robbers, ending up in a cow's belly, stuffed into a sausage, escaping the fox's jaws — held aloft entirely by the hero's wits and his knack for 'being so small it's an advantage.' The recurring gag of 'swallowed and then escaping' (his voice calling out from inside the cow, and inside the sausage) chimes with the 'rescued from the belly' motif in 'Little Red Riding Hood.' And its most touching feature is a quiet theme: being small has never meant being no good — Thumbling's very tininess is his superpower. At the ending, don't miss the father's plain words: to win his son back he gladly gives away every chicken in the yard, for 'a father would surely love his child far more than the fowls.'

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A certain tailor had a son, who happened to be small, and no bigger than a Thumb, and on this account he was always called Thumbling. He had, however, some courage in him, and said to his father, "Father, I must and will go out into the world."

"That's right, my son," said the old man, and took a long darning-needle and made a knob of sealing-wax on it at the candle, "and there is a sword for thee to take with thee on the way." Then the little tailor wanted to have one more meal with them, and hopped into the kitchen to see what his lady mother had cooked for the last time.

It was, however, just dished up, and the dish stood on the hearth. Then he said, "Mother, what is there to eat to-day?" - "See for thyself," said his mother. So Thumbling jumped on to the hearth, and peeped into the dish, but as he stretched his neck in too far the steam from the food caught hold of him, and carried him up the chimney. He rode about in the air on the steam for a while, until at length he sank down to the ground again.

Now the little tailor was outside in the wide world, and he travelled about, and went to a master in his craft, but the food was not good enough for him. "Mistress, if you give us no better food," said Thumbling, "I will go away, and early to-morrow morning I will write with chalk on the door of your house, 'Too many potatoes, too little meat! Farewell, Mr. Potato-King.'"

"What wouldst thou have forsooth, grasshopper?" said the mistress, and grew angry, and seized a dishcloth, and was just going to strike him; but my little tailor crept nimbly under a thimble, peeped out from beneath it, and put his tongue out at the mistress. She took up the thimble, and wanted to get hold of him, but little Thumbling hopped into the cloth, and while the mistress was opening it out and looking for him, he got into a crevice in the table. "Ho, ho, lady mistress," cried he, and thrust his head out, and when she began to strike him he leapt down into the drawer. At last, however, she caught him and drove him out of the house.

The little tailor journeyed on and came to a great forest, and there he fell in with a band of robbers who had a design to steal the King's treasure. When they saw the little tailor, they thought, "A little fellow like that can creep through a key-hole and serve as picklock to us." - "Hollo," cried one of them, "thou giant Goliath, wilt thou go to the treasure-chamber with us? Thou canst slip thyself in and throw out the money."

Thumbling reflected a while, and at length he said, "yes," and went with them to the treasure-chamber. Then he looked at the doors above and below, to see if there was any crack in them. It was not long before he espied one which was broad enough to let him in. He was therefore about to get in at once, but one of the two sentries who stood before the door, observed him, and said to the other, "What an ugly spider is creeping there; I will kill it."

"Let the poor creature alone," said the other; "it has done thee no harm." Then Thumbling got safely through the crevice into the treasure-chamber, opened the window beneath which the robbers were standing, and threw out to them one thaler after another. When the little tailor was in the full swing of his work, he heard the King coming to inspect his treasure-chamber, and crept hastily into a hiding-place.

The King noticed that several solid thalers were missing, but could not conceive who could have stolen them, for locks and bolts were in good condition, and all seemed well guarded. Then he went away again, and said to the sentries, "Be on the watch, some one is after the money." When therefore Thumbling recommenced his labours, they heard the money moving, and a sound of klink, klink, klink.

They ran swiftly in to seize the thief, but the little tailor, who heard them coming, was still swifter, and leapt into a corner and covered himself with a thaler, so that nothing could be seen of him, and at the same time he mocked the sentries and cried, "Here am I!" The sentries ran thither, but as they got there, he had already hopped into another corner under a thaler, and was crying, "Ho, ho, here am I!" The watchmen sprang there in haste, but Thumbling had long ago got into a third corner, and was crying, "Ho, ho, here am I!"

And thus he made fools of them, and drove them so long round about the treasure-chamber that they were weary and went away. Then by degrees he threw all the thalers out, dispatching the last with all his might, then hopped nimbly upon it, and flew down with it through the window. The robbers paid him great compliments. "Thou art a valiant hero," said they; "wilt thou be our captain?"

Thumbling, however, declined, and said he wanted to see the world first. They now divided the booty, but the little tailor only asked for a kreuzer because he could not carry more.

Then he once more buckled on his sword, bade the robbers goodbye, and took to the road. First, he went to work with some masters, but he had no liking for that, and at last he hired himself as man-servant in an inn. The maids, however, could not endure him, for he saw all they did secretly, without their seeing him, and he told their master and mistress what they had taken off the plates, and carried away out of the cellar, for themselves. Then said they, "Wait, and we will pay thee off!" and arranged with each other to play him a trick.

Soon afterwards when one of the maids was mowing in the garden, and saw Thumbling jumping about and creeping up and down the plants, she mowed him up quickly with the grass, tied all in a great cloth, and secretly threw it to the cows. Now amongst them there was a great black one, who swallowed him down without hurting him. Down below, however, it pleased him ill, for it was quite dark, neither was any candle burning. When the cow was being milked he cried, "Strip, strap, strull, Will the pail soon be full?" But the noise of the milking prevented his being understood.

After this the master of the house came into the cow-byre and said, "That cow shall be killed to-morrow." Then Thumbling was so alarmed that he cried out in a clear voice, "Let me out first, for I am shut up inside her." The master heard that quite well, but did not know from whence the voice came. "Where art thou?" asked he. "In the black one," answered Thumbling, but the master did not understand what that meant, and went out.

Next morning the cow was killed. Happily Thumbling did not meet with one blow at the cutting up and chopping; he got among the sausage-meat. And when the butcher came in and began his work, he cried out with all his might, "Don't chop too deep, don't chop too deep, I am amongst it." No one heard this because of the noise of the chopping-knife.

Now poor Thumbling was in trouble, but trouble sharpens the wits, and he sprang out so adroitly between the blows that none of them touched him, and he escaped with a whole skin. But still he could not get away, there was nothing for it but to let himself be thrust into a black-pudding with the bits of bacon. His quarters there were rather confined, and besides that he was hung up in the chimney to be smoked, and there time did hang terribly heavy on his hands.

At length in winter he was taken down again, as the black-pudding had to be set before a guest. When the hostess was cutting it in slices, he took care not to stretch out his head too far lest a bit of it should be cut off; at last he saw his opportunity, cleared a passage for himself, and jumped out.

The little tailor, however, would not stay any longer in a house where he fared so ill, so at once set out on his journey again. But his liberty did not last long. In the open country he met with a fox who snapped him up in a fit of absence. "Hollo, Mr. Fox," cried the little tailor, "it is I who am sticking in your throat, set me at liberty again."

"Thou art right," answered the fox. "Thou art next to nothing for me, but if thou wilt promise me the fowls in thy father's yard I will let thee go." - "With all my heart," replied Thumbling. "Thou shalt have all the cocks and hens, that I promise thee." Then the fox let him go again, and himself carried him home.

When the father once more saw his dear son, he willingly gave the fox all the fowls which he had. "For this I likewise bring thee a handsome bit of money," said Thumbling, and gave his father the kreuzer which he earned on his travels.

"But why did the fox get the poor chickens to eat?" - "Oh, you goose, your father would surely love his child far more than the fowls in the yard!"

Vocabulary from "Thumbling's Travels"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

chimneyB1

/ˈtʃɪmni/n.

A vertical passage that carries smoke up and out of a building.

烟囱。

The steam from the food caught hold of him, and carried him up the chimney.
食物的热气抓住了他，把他带进了烟囱。

craftB2

/krɑːft/n.

A skilled trade, especially one done with the hands.

手艺；行业。

He travelled about, and went to a master in his craft, but the food was not good enough for him.
他四处游历，来到一个手艺人家里干活，但那里的伙食不对他的胃口。

grasshopperB1

/ˈɡrɑːshɒpə/n.

A small jumping insect with long back legs.

蚂蚱；蝗虫。

"What wouldst thou have forsooth, grasshopper?" said the mistress, and grew angry, and seized a dishcloth.
"你这只蚂蚱，到底想要什么？"女主人生气了，抓起抹布就要打他。

nimbly(nimble)C1

/ˈnɪmbli/adv.

Quickly and lightly on one's feet.

敏捷地；灵巧地。

My little tailor crept nimbly under a thimble, peeped out from beneath it, and put his tongue out at the mistress.
我的小裁缝灵活地钻到顶针下面，探出头来向她吐舌头。

creviceC1

/ˈkrevɪs/n.

A narrow crack or gap in a surface.

裂缝；缝隙。

While the mistress was opening it out and looking for him, he got into a crevice in the table.
正当女主人抖开布找他时，他又钻进了桌子的缝隙。

robbers(robber)B1

/ˈrɒbəz/n.

People who steal, especially using force.

强盗；抢劫者。

The little tailor journeyed on and came to a great forest, and there he fell in with a band of robbers who had a design to steal the King's treasure.
小裁缝继续赶路，来到一片大森林，遇到了一伙企图偷窃国王财宝的强盗。

sentries(sentry)C1

/ˈsentriz/n.

Soldiers who stand and keep guard.

哨兵；卫兵。

One of the two sentries who stood before the door, observed him, and said to the other, "What an ugly spider is creeping there; I will kill it."
门口的两个卫兵中的一个发现了他，对另一个说："看那只爬行的丑蜘蛛，我要把它踩死。"

thalerC1

/ˈtɑːlə/n.

A large old silver coin once used in Germany.

塔勒（旧时德国的大银币）。

He opened the window beneath which the robbers were standing, and threw out to them one thaler after another.
他打开强盗们站立下方的窗户，把银币一个接一个地扔出去。

inspectB2

/ɪnˈspekt/v.

To look at something carefully in order to check it.

检查；视察。

He heard the King coming to inspect his treasure-chamber, and crept hastily into a hiding-place.
他听到国王来视察宝库了，便急忙躲进藏身处。

valiantC1

/ˈvæliənt/adj.

Very brave, especially in a difficult situation.

英勇的；勇猛的。

"Thou art a valiant hero," said they; "wilt thou be our captain?"
"你真是个英勇的英雄，"他们说，"你愿意做我们的队长吗？"

swallowed(swallow)B1

/ˈswɒləʊd/v.

Made food or drink go down the throat.

吞下；咽下。

Now amongst them there was a great black one, who swallowed him down without hurting him.
其中有一头大黑牛，一口就把他吞了下去，没伤着他一点。

sausage-meat(sausage)B1

/ˈsɒsɪdʒ miːt/n.

Chopped, seasoned meat used to fill sausages.

香肠肉（用来灌香肠的碎肉）。

Happily Thumbling did not meet with one blow at the cutting up and chopping; he got among the sausage-meat.
幸运的是，大拇指在剁肉时没挨上一刀；他混在做香肠的肉里。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Thumbling is no bigger than a thumb, yet all along the way he keeps slipping out of danger: swept up the chimney by steam, helping robbers and mocking the guards, swallowed into a cow's belly, stuffed into a sausage and smoked all winter... Anyone else would have panicked, but he always pops out again on wit and pure refusal to give up. What the story wants to tell a child is this: 'being small' has never meant 'being no good.' What really decides how far you can go is not the size of your body but the quickness of your mind and how calm you stay in trouble. And the ending is warmer still: without a second thought, the father gives the fox every chicken in the yard just to get his son back — for in a parent's heart, a child is forever more precious than anything else.

Educational Value

This is a 'picaresque' adventure — a string of separate little escapades with no single overarching plot, winning instead on strange invention and a brisk pace, well suited to reading to a child in sections. Use it to talk about playing to your strengths: Thumbling's tiny size looks like a weakness to others, but he turns it into a superpower for slipping through keyholes and hiding under a coin. You can also count how many times he escapes the jaws of danger, and see whether each escape owes more to courage, cleverness, or luck. The reunion at the end — 'a father would love his child far more than the fowls in the yard' — is a tender opening for talking about a parent's love.

Tips for Parents

The story has a few 'hair-raising' bits — Thumbling swallowed by a cow, nearly chopped into a sausage — but the tone is light comedy throughout, he escapes each time without a scratch, and it is neither gory nor frightening, suiting children over 6. This tale is actually the 'sequel' to 'Thumbling' (another Grimm story), following the same thumb-sized fellow once he grows up and sets out into the world; the two make a nice pair to read together. Here's a cross-cultural fact worth sharing: the 'tiny person' is a character found almost the world over — England has Tom Thumb, and Japan has Issun-bōshi, the 'One-Inch Boy' who floats down a river in a rice bowl using an embroidery needle as his sword, uncannily like our Thumbling with his darning-needle blade. Afterwards, ask your child: if you were only as big as a thumb, what amazing thing would you do with that 'weakness'?

Talk About It

Thumbling is only as big as a thumb, which starts out as a 'weakness' — but how does he turn that small size into a superpower along the way? How many times can you count?
He's swallowed by a cow and nearly chopped into a sausage, yet escapes each time. Do you think he's saved more by courage, cleverness, or luck?
Thumbling helps robbers steal the King's money and mocks the guards. Do you think everything he does is right? If not, how would you advise him?
At the end, the father gives the fox every chicken in the yard without hesitation, just to get his son back. What does that tell us matters most in a parent's heart?
All over the world there are 'tiny-person' stories (like Japan's Issun-bōshi). Why do you think so many people love to write about a 'very, very small hero'?