LITTLE TINY OR THUMBELINA
Author:
Hans Christian Andersen
First edition:
Fairy tales, Told for Children, 1935
Main illustrators:
Beskow Browne Claveloux Cornuel Gorde Ivers Mussino Palecek Pedersen Pocci Anne Tonnac Zwerger
In short:
A woman who could not have children asked a fairy for a daughter. The fairy gave her a flower from which a tiny girl appeared. She was so little that she slept on a match-box!
Selection of edition:
Fairy Tales (Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, Ugly Duckling) illustrated by Gordon Browne, Wells Gardner, 1902.
Tumelise, illustrated by E. Beskow, 1908.
Fiabe (Thumbelina, Little Mermaid), illustrated by Attilio Mussino.
Poucette, illustrated by Nicole Claveloux, Editions des femmes, 1978.
Poucette, illustrated by Josef Palecek, Nord-Sud, 1990.
Fairy Tales, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger, Neugebauer, 1991.
Poucette, illustrated by Anne Tonnac, Nathan, 1991.
Poucette, illustrated by Mette Ivers, Hachette, 1993.
Poucette, illustrated by Monique Gorde, Lito, 1995
Excerpt of the tale:
"There was once a woman who wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said, "I should so very much like to have a little child; can you tell me where I can find one?"
"Oh, that can be easily managed," said the fairy. “Here is a barleycorn of a different kind to those which grow in the farmer's fields, and which the chickens eat; put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen.”
“Thank you,” said the woman, and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home and planted it, and immediately there grew up a large handsome flower, something like a tulip in appearance, but with its leaves tightly closed as if it were still a bud. “It is a beautiful flower,” said the woman, and she kissed the red and golden-colored leaves, and while she did so the flower opened, and she could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, upon the green velvet stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful little maiden.