Hop-o'-My-Thumb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hop-o'-My-Thumb |
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Illustration by Gustave Doré (1862)
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| Folk tale | |
| Name | Hop-o'-My-Thumb |
| Also known as | Le Petit Poucet |
| Data | |
| Aarne-Thompson grouping | ATU 327A (The Children and the Ogre), ATU 327B (The Small Boy defeats the Ogre) |
| Country | France |
| Published in | Histoires ou contes du temps passé (1697) |
| Related | The Lost Children Hansel and Gretel |
Hop-o'-My-Thumb, also known as Little Thumbling or Little Poucet (French: Le petit Poucet), is a famous fairy tale. It was written by Charles Perrault in 1697. This story is about a very small boy who uses his cleverness to defeat a scary ogre. It's similar to other tales like Hansel and Gretel.
The story first appeared in English in 1729. The hero's name changed over time. In 1804, it became Hop o' My Thumb. This name was used in the 1500s to describe a tiny person.
Contents
Story Overview
Hop-o'-My-Thumb (le petit Poucet) is the youngest of seven brothers. His family is very poor. Even though he is small, he is very wise. When his parents leave him and his brothers in a forest, he finds ways to save them. He faces a dangerous ogre. Hop-o'-My-Thumb manages to trick the ogre and steal his magic seven-league boots.
The Story of Hop-o'-My-Thumb
A poor woodcutter and his wife have too many children. They decide to leave their seven sons in a forest. Hop-o'-My-Thumb hears their plan. He quickly gathers small white pebbles from a river. He uses these stones to make a trail. This trail helps him lead his brothers safely back home.
However, the parents try again. This time, Hop-o'-My-Thumb uses breadcrumbs to mark the path. But birds eat all the crumbs. The brothers get lost deep in the woods.
Hop-o'-My-Thumb climbs a tall tree. He sees a light far away. The boys walk towards it. They finally reach a house. They soon learn it belongs to a giant, scary ogre. Hop-o'-My-Thumb is afraid of wolves in the forest. So, he decides it's safer to risk staying at the ogre's house.
The ogre lets the boys sleep for the night. He gives them a bed in his daughters' room. But the ogre wakes up later. He plans to kill the boys while they sleep. Hop-o'-My-Thumb was smart. He had already switched the gold crowns of the ogre's daughters with the bonnets worn by him and his brothers. Because of this, the ogre accidentally kills his own daughters instead. He then goes back to sleep. Once the ogre is snoring loudly, Hop-o'-My-Thumb leads his brothers out of the house.
The ogre wakes up in the morning. He discovers his terrible mistake. He puts on his magic seven-league boots. These boots let him travel very fast. He races after the boys. The brothers see the ogre coming. Hop-o'-My-Thumb quickly thinks of a new plan. He hides in a small cave nearby. The ogre gets tired and rests close to their hiding spot.
Hop-o'-My-Thumb tells his brothers to go home. While the ogre is sleeping, he takes off the giant boots. He puts them on himself. The magic boots shrink to fit his small feet.
Hop-o'-My-Thumb uses the boots to become very rich. He returns to his family's home. They all live happily ever after.
Story Adaptations
The story of Hop-o'-My-Thumb has been adapted many times:
- Hop-o'-My-Thumb and the ogre appear in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky.
- He is also featured in Ravel's music piece Ma mère l'oye.
- Jean-Claude Mourlevat wrote a children's novel called The Pull of the Ocean. It is based on the Hop-o'-My-Thumb character.
- An animated movie called Hop-o'-My-Thumb was made in 1938 in the Soviet Union.
- There was a Broadway musical called Hop o' My Thumb in 1913–1914.
Illustrations of the Story
Illustrations by Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré created 11 drawings for a 1862 edition of Perrault's book, Les Contes de Perrault.
Other Illustrators
Other artists have also illustrated the story. These include Heinrich Leutemann and Carl Offterdinger. They worked on a German fairy tale collection. Alexander Zick was another German illustrator.
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See also
In Spanish: Pulgarcito (Perrault) para niños
