Thumbelina · chapter 2 of 4
The Toad's Son
蟾蜍的儿子
Carried off to a pond, Thumbelina must escape a toad's wedding plan, then survive summer and a snowy winter alone.
Read what you hear
- Thumbelina 妈妈？妈妈！你在哪儿？我在哪儿？
Māma? Māma! Nǐ zài nǎr? Wǒ zài nǎr?
Mama? Mama! Where are you? Where am I?
- The Toad 你在水里的荷叶上，小女孩。
Nǐ zài shuǐ lǐ de héyè shàng, xiǎo nǚhái.
You're on a lily leaf in the water, little girl.
- The Toad 我的儿子来了。看，他多高兴！
Wǒ de érzi lái le. Kàn, tā duō gāoxìng!
My son is here. Look how happy he is!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Thumbelina is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Toad's Son 妈妈，她好小！我要她做我的太太。
Māma, tā hǎo xiǎo! Wǒ yào tā zuò wǒ de tàitai.
Mama, she is so small! I want her to be my wife.
- Thumbelina 我不要做你的太太！我要回家！
Wǒ bú yào zuò nǐ de tàitai! Wǒ yào huí jiā!
I don't want to be your wife! I want to go home!
- The Toad 你不能回家。你在这儿等一等。
Nǐ bù néng huí jiā. Nǐ zài zhèr děng yi děng.
You can't go home. Wait here.
- The Toad 我们去准备房子。明天你们就结婚！
Wǒmen qù zhǔnbèi fángzi. Míngtiān nǐmen jiù jiéhūn!
We'll go get the house ready. Tomorrow you two will be married!
- Narrator 蟾蜍们走了。拇指姑娘一个人坐在荷叶上，哭了。
Chánchú men zǒu le. Mǔzhǐ Gūniang yí gè rén zuò zài héyè shàng, kū le.
The toads went away. Thumbelina sat alone on the lily leaf and cried.
- Thumbelina 我不想住在水里。我想回妈妈那儿！
Wǒ bù xiǎng zhù zài shuǐ lǐ. Wǒ xiǎng huí māma nàr!
I don't want to live in the water. I want to go back to Mama!
- The Fish 小女孩，别哭。我们来帮你。
Xiǎo nǚhái, bié kū. Wǒmen lái bāng nǐ.
Little girl, don't cry. We'll help you.
- The Fish 我们一起推，荷叶就会走开！
Wǒmen yìqǐ tuī, héyè jiù huì zǒukāi!
If we all push together, the leaf will float away!
- Thumbelina 谢谢你们，小鱼！荷叶动了，我走了！
Xièxie nǐmen, xiǎo yú! Héyè dòng le, wǒ zǒu le!
Thank you, little fish! The leaf is moving, I'm free!
- The Beetle 哇！你们看！这里有一个女孩！
Wā! Nǐmen kàn! Zhèlǐ yǒu yí gè nǚhái!
Wow! Look! There's a girl here!
- The Beetle 我要带你回我家，好不好？
Wǒ yào dài nǐ huí wǒ jiā, hǎo bu hǎo?
I'll take you to my home, all right?
- The Beetle 朋友们，快来看我的新朋友！
Péngyoumen, kuài lái kàn wǒ de xīn péngyou!
Friends, come and see my new friend!
- Beetle's Friend 她只有两条腿，也没有翅膀！
Tā zhǐyǒu liǎng tiáo tuǐ, yě méiyǒu chìbǎng!
She has only two legs, and no wings!
- Beetle's Friend 她太难看了！她不是我们的朋友！
Tā tài nánkàn le! Tā bú shì wǒmen de péngyou!
She's so ugly! She's not our friend!
- The Beetle 是啊……你们说得对。走吧，小女孩。
Shì a… nǐmen shuō de duì. Zǒu ba, xiǎo nǚhái.
Yes… you're right. Go away, little girl.
- Thumbelina 我不难看……我只是很小。
Wǒ bù nánkàn… wǒ zhǐshì hěn xiǎo.
I'm not ugly… I'm just small.
- Thumbelina 夏天，花是我的家，草是我的床。
Xiàtiān, huā shì wǒ de jiā, cǎo shì wǒ de chuáng.
In summer, a flower is my home and grass is my bed.
- Thumbelina 可是，天越来越冷了。
Kěshì, tiān yuè lái yuè lěng le.
But it's getting colder and colder.
- Thumbelina 下雪了！我的鞋坏了，我好冷！
Xià xuě le! Wǒ de xié huài le, wǒ hǎo lěng!
It's snowing! My shoes are worn out and I'm so cold!
- Thumbelina 我好饿，也不知道去哪儿……
Wǒ hǎo è, yě bù zhīdào qù nǎr…
I'm so hungry, and I don't know where to go…
- Thumbelina 咦，那儿有一个小门！
Yí, nàr yǒu yí gè xiǎo mén!
Oh, there is a little door over there!
- Thumbelina 有人吗？我好冷，也很饿！
Yǒu rén ma? Wǒ hǎo lěng, yě hěn è!
Is anyone there? I'm so cold and hungry!
- Field Mouse 谁呀？哎呀，一个小女孩！快进来！
Shéi ya? Āiyā, yí gè xiǎo nǚhái! Kuài jìnlái!
Who is it? Oh my, a little girl! Come in quickly!
- Field Mouse 我是田鼠。明天有一位有钱的朋友要来！
Wǒ shì Tiánshǔ. Míngtiān yǒu yí wèi yǒuqián de péngyou yào lái!
I'm a field mouse. Tomorrow a very rich friend is coming!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Where is Thumbelina when she wakes up?
“你在水里的荷叶上，小女孩。”
- Who helps Thumbelina float away?
“小女孩，别哭。我们来帮你。”……“我们一起推，荷叶就会走开！”
- Why does the beetle send her away?
“她太难看了！”
- Why is Thumbelina so cold?
“下雪了！我的鞋坏了，我好冷！”
- Who lives behind the little door?
“我是田鼠。”