THUMBELINA. 49

rose, and every evening when it went down, she crept out at the
door ; and when the wind blew the corn-ears apart, so that she
could see the blue sky, she thought how bright and beautiful it
was out here, and wished heartily to see her dear Swallow again.
But the Swallow did not come back ; he had doubtless flown far
away, in the fair green forest. When autumn came on, Thumbe-
lina had all her outfit ready.

“In four weeks you shall celebrate your wedding,” said the
Field Mouse to her. ©

But Thumbelina wept, and declared she would not have the
tiresome Mole.

“ Nonsense!” said the Field Mouse; “ don’t be obstinate, or I
will bite you with my white teeth. He is a very fine man whom
you will marry. The Queen herself has not such a black velvet
fur; and his kitchen and cellar are full, Be thankful for your
good fortune.”

Now the wedding was to beheld. The Mole had already come
to fetch Thumbelina ; she was to live with him, deep under the
earth, and never to come out into the warm sunshine, for that he
did not like. The poor little thing was very sorrowful; she was
now to say farewell to the glorious sun, which, after all, she had
been allowed by the Field Mouse to see from the threshold of
the door.

“ Farewell, thou bright sun!” she said, and stretched out her
arms towards it, and walked a little way forth from the house of
the Field Mouse, for now the corn had been reaped, and only the
dry stubble stood in the fields. Farewell!” she repeated,
twining her arms round a little red flower which still bloomed
there. ‘‘Greet the little Swallow from me, if you see him again.”

“ Tweet-weet ! tweet-weet ! a voice suddenly sounded over her
head. She looked up: it was the little Swallow, who was just
flying by. When he saw Thumbelina he was very glad; and
Thumbelina told him how loth she was to have the ugly Mole for
her husband, and that she was to live deep under the earth, where
the sun never shone. And she could net refrain from weeping.

“The cold winter is coming now,” said the Swallow ; “I am
going to fly far away into the warm countries. Will you come
with me? You can sit upon my back, then we shall fly from the
ugly Mole and his dark room—away, far away, over the moun-
tains, to the warm countries, where the sun shines warmer than
here, where it is always summer, and there are lovely flowers
Only fly with me, you dear little Thumbelina, you who have saved
my life when I lay frozen in the dark earthy passage.”

“Yes, I will go with you!” said Thumbelina; and she seated
herself on the bird’s back, with her feet on his outspread wing,
and bound her girdle fast to one of his strongest feathers ; then
the Swallow flew up into the air over forest and over sea, high up

over the great mountains, where the snow always lies; and
4,