Once a woman wished she had a very little child, but she did not know
where to get one. So she went to an old witch and said, “I wish I had a
very little child. Can you tell me where I might get one?”
“Oh, that I can easily,” said the old witch. “Here is a barleycorn for
you. It is not the kind that grows in everyone’s field and the chickens
eat. Put it into a flower pot, and you shall see what you shall see.”
“Thank you,” said the woman, and she gave the witch twelve shillings, for
that was the price of the barleycorn.
Well, the woman planted the barleycorn. And immediately there grew up a
great handsome flower. It was like a tulip, but the petals were tightly
closed as if it were still a bud.
“What a beautiful flower,” cried the woman, and she kissed its yellow and
red leaves. “Pop,” the flower opened. It was a real tulip, but in the
middle, there upon the green velvet stamens sat a tiny maiden, lovely
as a fairy, and only half a thumb’s height. So her mother called her
Thumbelina.
* * * * *
And that is how she got her.