Thumbelina · chapter 1 of 4
The Tiny Girl
花里的小女孩
A lonely woman plants a seed and a girl no bigger than a thumb opens inside the flower. But someone else has plans for the tiny girl.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- The Woman 我想要一个孩子。可是我没有孩子。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yí gè háizi. Kěshì wǒ méiyǒu háizi.
I want a child. But I don't have one.
- The Woman 我家很大，可是家里只有我一个人。
Wǒ jiā hěn dà, kěshì jiā lǐ zhǐyǒu wǒ yí gè rén.
My house is big, but I'm the only one in it.
- The Woman 老奶奶，你能帮帮我吗？
Lǎo nǎinai, nǐ néng bāngbang wǒ ma?
Granny, can you help me?
- Granny 好孩子，你想要什么？
Hǎo háizi, nǐ xiǎng yào shénme?
Dear, what do you want?
- The Woman 我想要一个小孩子，很小很小的。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yí gè xiǎo háizi, hěn xiǎo hěn xiǎo de.
I want a little child, a very, very small one.
- Granny 好。这个种子给你。
Hǎo. Zhège zhǒngzi gěi nǐ.
All right. This seed is for you.
- Granny 你把种子种在花盆里，就会看见。
Nǐ bǎ zhǒngzi zhòng zài huāpén lǐ, jiù huì kànjiàn.
Plant the seed in a flower pot, and you will see.
- The Woman 谢谢您！我现在就回家，种在花盆里！
Xièxie nín! Wǒ xiànzài jiù huí jiā, zhòng zài huāpén lǐ!
Thank you! I'll go home and plant it in a flower pot right now!
- Narrator 三天过去了。花盆里开了一朵大花。
Sān tiān guòqù le. Huāpén lǐ kāi le yì duǒ dà huā.
Three days passed. A big flower opened in the flower pot.
- The Woman 好大的花！是那个种子长的花吗？
Hǎo dà de huā! Shì nàge zhǒngzi zhǎng de huā ma?
What a big flower! Did it grow from that seed?
- Thumbelina 你好！我在这里！
Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ zài zhèlǐ!
Hello! I'm in here!
- The Woman 啊！花里有一个小女孩！
Ā! Huā lǐ yǒu yí gè xiǎo nǚhái!
Oh! There is a little girl in the flower!
- The Woman 你好小！只有我的拇指那么大！
Nǐ hǎo xiǎo! Zhǐyǒu wǒ de mǔzhǐ nàme dà!
You're so small! You're only as big as my thumb!
- Thumbelina 你是我的妈妈吗？我是从花里来的。
Nǐ shì wǒ de māma ma? Wǒ shì cóng huā lǐ lái de.
Are you my mother? I came out of the flower.
- The Woman 是的！我是你的妈妈！我太高兴了！
Shì de! Wǒ shì nǐ de māma! Wǒ tài gāoxìng le!
Yes! I am your mother! I'm so happy!
- The Woman 你叫拇指姑娘，好不好？
Nǐ jiào Mǔzhǐ Gūniang, hǎo bu hǎo?
Your name will be Thumbelina. Is that all right?
- Thumbelina 拇指姑娘……我喜欢这个名字！
Mǔzhǐ Gūniang… wǒ xǐhuan zhège míngzi!
Thumbelina… I love that name!
- The Woman 来，这个核桃壳是你的小床。
Lái, zhège hétao ké shì nǐ de xiǎo chuáng.
Come, this walnut shell is your little bed.
- Thumbelina 太好了！我要在核桃壳里睡觉！
Tài hǎo le! Wǒ yào zài hétao ké lǐ shuìjiào!
Wonderful! I'll sleep in the walnut shell!
- Narrator 晚上，拇指姑娘睡在核桃壳里。妈妈也睡了。
Wǎnshang, Mǔzhǐ Gūniang shuì zài hétao ké lǐ. Māma yě shuì le.
At night, Thumbelina slept in her walnut shell. Her mother slept too.
- The Toad 这个女孩真漂亮！我的儿子会喜欢她！
Zhège nǚhái zhēn piàoliang! Wǒ de érzi huì xǐhuan tā!
This girl is so pretty! My son will love her!
- The Toad 我要带她回家，给我儿子做太太！
Wǒ yào dài tā huí jiā, gěi wǒ érzi zuò tàitai!
I'll take her home to be my son's wife!
- Thumbelina 谁……谁在那儿？我的妈妈呢？
Shéi… shéi zài nàr? Wǒ de māma ne?
Who… who is there? Where's my mother?
- The Toad 别怕，小女孩。你跟我走！
Bié pà, xiǎo nǚhái. Nǐ gēn wǒ zǒu!
Don't be afraid, little girl. Come with me!
- Thumbelina 不！我不走！妈妈！妈妈！快来！
Bù! Wǒ bù zǒu! Māma! Māma! Kuài lái!
No! I won't go! Mama! Mama! Come quick!
- The Toad 你的妈妈睡着了，她听不见！
Nǐ de māma shuìzháo le, tā tīng bú jiàn!
Your mother is asleep. She can't hear you!
What changed in the story?
- What does the woman want?
“我想要一个孩子。”
- Who is inside the big flower?
“花里有一个小女孩！”
- How big is Thumbelina?
“只有我的拇指那么大！”
- What is Thumbelina's bed?
“来，这个核桃壳是你的小床。”
- Why does the toad come at night?
“我要带她回家，给我儿子做太太！”