Thumbling facts for kids

"Thumbling" and "Thumbling's Travels" are two German fairy tales. The famous Brothers Grimm collected them in their book Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1819.

Even though they sound similar, these two stories are about different tiny characters. The first story's hero is called "Daumsdick" in German, which means "Thumb-thick." The second hero is "Daumerling." Both are like the English character Tom Thumb, and sometimes the Grimm stories are called "Tom Thumb" when translated.

These tales are part of a group of stories called Aarne-Thompson type 700, known as "Tom Thumb" tales.

Story Time: Thumbling's Adventures

This first story is simply called "Thumbling."

A Tiny Wish Comes True

Once, a poor couple really wanted a child. They wished for one "no matter how small." Seven months later, the wife had a baby "no longer than a thumb." They named him Thumbling. He grew up to be very smart and quick.

A Ride and a Risky Sale

One day, Thumbling wanted to help his father. He offered to guide their horse by sitting in its ear and giving directions. Two strangers saw the horse moving with a loud voice but no one guiding it. When they found out Thumbling was in the horse's ear, they wanted to buy him. They thought they could get rich by showing off the tiny man. Thumbling told his father to take the money. He left with the men, sitting on the edge of one man's hat. After a while, Thumbling tricked the men. He got them to let him down, then he quickly hid in a mouse hole.

Escaping Robbers and a Cow

Later that night, Thumbling tried to sleep in a snail shell. He woke up when he heard robbers planning to steal from a pastor's house. Thumbling shouted that he would help them. He said he could go into the house and hand things out. The robbers agreed. Thumbling made a lot of noise inside the house, pretending to help. He yelled things like, "What do you want? Do you want everything?" This woke up the people in the house. A maid came out and scared the robbers away. She didn't see Thumbling, who then slept well in some hay.

The next morning, the maid fed the hay (with Thumbling in it) to a cow. Thumbling started yelling from inside the cow's stomach! The pastor thought an "evil spirit" was in the cow, so he had it killed. The cow's stomach was thrown onto a dung heap. Before Thumbling could fully climb out, a wolf ate the stomach.

Home at Last

Now inside the wolf, Thumbling convinced the wolf to go to his parents' house. He tricked the wolf by saying there was lots of food there. When they arrived, his parents killed the wolf to get Thumbling out. They promised never to sell him again, "not for all the riches in the world." They gave him food, drink, and new clothes.

Story Time: Thumbling's Journeys

This second story is called "Thumbling's Travels."

The Little Tailor's Big Trip

In this version, Thumbling is the thumb-sized son of a tailor. He decides to go out into the world to find his fortune. His father gives him a darning needle for a sword. His mother gives him a last meal. The steam from the cooking pot carries Thumbling up the chimney and away from home!

The little man goes to a craftsman's house to become an apprentice. But he doesn't like the food. He teases the lady of the house. She chases him around the table with a dishcloth, trying to hit or catch him. She eventually drives him out of the house.

Tricking the King's Guards

In the forest, a group of robbers finds Thumbling. They ask him to help them steal from the king's treasure room. Thumbling sneaks past the guards. He starts tossing coins out the window to the robbers. The king and his guards are confused. They can't find the thief, but they know they are being robbed. Thumbling makes fun of them as they chase the invisible intruder. He eventually slides down with the last of the coins and escapes. The robbers offer to make him their leader, but he says no.

Inside a Cow and a Pudding

Thumbling then gets a job as a servant at an inn. But he quickly annoys the maids. He secretly watches them and tells the innkeeper when they steal food. To get revenge, a maid mows him up with a patch of grass and feeds it to the cows.

Just like in the other story, Thumbling is eaten by a cow. He confuses the innkeeper when his voice comes from inside the cow. The cow is killed. Thumbling tries to escape from its insides, but he ends up being cooked into a black pudding with the meat. The lady of the house eventually cuts the pudding into slices. Thumbling barely escapes with his life again!

A Fox Ride Home

Thumbling continues his journey. Next, a fox in the woods snaps him up. But Thumbling manages to get caught in the fox's craw (a part of its throat). Thumbling convinces the fox to let him go. He then rides the fox back to his father's house, done exploring the world. His father is so happy to see him. He even lets the fox eat the chickens in the henhouse! He says he loves his child more than the chickens.

About the Tales

Similar Tiny Heroes

Both "Thumbling" and "Thumbling's Travels" are part of the "Tom Thumb" type of tales. The Brothers Grimm thought these two stories were very similar.

The character of Thumbling is much like the English character Tom Thumb. Other similar tiny heroes appear in folklore too.

Old Beliefs

In the story "Thumbling," the character is born after only seven months. In old Germany, there was a belief that babies born after seven months were stronger.

Mythical Connections

Some people have noticed similarities between Thumbling's adventures and old myths. For example, in one version of "Thumbling's Travels," the tiny hero goes into a glove. This reminds some scholars of the Norse god Thor. Thor once slept in the giant Skrýmir's glove. The German word Däumling can even mean the thumb part of a glove.

See also

In Spanish: Pulgarcito (Grimm) para niños