Thumbelina

"Thumbelina" (Danish: "Tommelise") is a Danish literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875). The tale was published by C.A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark and tells the story of a thumb-sized girl and her adventures with sex-and-marriage-minded amphibians, insects, and mammals before wedding a flower-fairy prince just her size. "Thumbelina" story is mainly Andersen's invention, although he did ... more

"Thumbelina" (Danish: "Tommelise") is a Danish literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen (2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875). The tale was published by C.A. Reitzel on 16 December 1835 in Copenhagen, Denmark and tells the story of a thumb-sized girl and her adventures with sex-and-marriage-minded amphibians, insects, and mammals before wedding a flower-fairy prince just her size. "Thumbelina" story is mainly Andersen's invention, although he did take inspiration from tales of miniature people such as "Tom Thumb". Andersen published seven fairy tales in 1835 which were not well received by the Danish critics, though one critic applauded "Thumbelina". The earliest English translation of “Thumbelina” is dated 1846; modern translations of distinction have been published since. The tale has been adapted to various media including song and animated film. Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark on 2 April 1805 to Hans Andersen, a twenty-two-year-old shoemaker, and his thirty-year... less