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022 - Little Thumb · Blue Fairy Book

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  Speaker 1: Little Thumb of The Blue Fairy Book. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang Little Thumb. There
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  Speaker 1: was once upon a time a man and his wife,
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  Speaker 1: faggot makers by trade, who had several children, all boys.
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  Speaker 1: The eldest was but ten years old, and the youngest
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  Speaker 1: only seven. They were very poor, and their seven children
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  Speaker 1: incommoded them greatly, because not one of them was able
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  Speaker 1: to earn his bread. That which gave them yet more
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  Speaker 1: uneasiness was that the youngest was of a very puny constitution,
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  Speaker 1: and scarce ever spoke a word, which made them take
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  Speaker 1: that first stupidity, which was a sign of good sense.
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  Speaker 1: He was very little, and when born, no bigger than
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  Speaker 1: one's thumb, which made him be called little Thumb. The
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  Speaker 1: poor child bore the blame of whatsoever was done amiss
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  Speaker 1: in the house, and guilty or not, was always in
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  Speaker 1: the wrong. He was, notwithstanding, more cunning, and had a
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  Speaker 1: far greater share of wisdom than all his brothers put together.
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  Speaker 1: And if he spake little, he heard and thought the more.
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  Speaker 1: There happened now to come a very bad year, and
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  Speaker 1: the famine was so great that these poor people resolved
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  Speaker 1: to rid themselves of their children. One evening, when they
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  Speaker 1: were all in bed, and the faggot maker was sitting
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  Speaker 1: with his wife at the fire, he said to her,
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  Speaker 1: with his heart ready to burst with grief, thou seest
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  Speaker 1: plainly that we are not able to keep our children,
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  Speaker 1: and I cannot see them starve to death before my face.
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  Speaker 1: I am resolved to lose them in the wood to morrow,
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  Speaker 1: which may very easily be done, for while they are
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  Speaker 1: busied and tying up faggots, we may run away and
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  Speaker 1: leave them without their taking any notice. Ah, cried his wife,
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  Speaker 1: And canst thou thyself have the heart to take thy
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  Speaker 1: children out along with thee on purpose to lose them
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  Speaker 1: in vain? Did her husband represent to her their extreme poverty?
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  Speaker 1: She would not consent to it. She was indeed poor,
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  Speaker 1: but she was their mother. However, having considered what a
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  Speaker 1: grief it would be to her to see them perish
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  Speaker 1: with hunger, she at last consented and went to bed
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  Speaker 1: all in tears. Little Thumb heard every word that had
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  Speaker 1: been spoken, for observing as he lay in his bed
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  Speaker 1: that they were talking very busily. He got up softly
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  Speaker 1: and hid himself under his father's stool, that he might
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  Speaker 1: hear what they said without being seen. He went to
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  Speaker 1: bed again, but not sleep a wink all the rest
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  Speaker 1: of the night, thinking on what he had to do.
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  Speaker 1: He got up early in the morning and went to
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  Speaker 1: the riverside, where he filled his pockets full of small
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  Speaker 1: white pebbles, and then returned home. They all went abroad,
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  Speaker 1: but Little Thumb never told his brothers one syllable of
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  Speaker 1: what he knew. They went into a very thick forest
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  Speaker 1: where they could not another At ten paces distance. The
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  Speaker 1: fagot maker began to cut wood, and the children to
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  Speaker 1: gather up the sticks to make fagots. Their father and mother,
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  Speaker 1: seeing them busy at their work, got away from them insensibly,
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  Speaker 1: and ran away from them all at once along a
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  Speaker 1: by way through the winding bushes. When the children saw
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  Speaker 1: they were left alone, they began to cry as loud
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  Speaker 1: as they could. Little Thumb let them cry on, knowing
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  Speaker 1: very well how to get home again, for as he came,
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  Speaker 1: he took care to drop all along the way the
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  Speaker 1: little white pebbles he had in his pockets. Then he
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  Speaker 1: said to them, be not afraid, brothers, father and mother
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  Speaker 1: have left us here, but I will lead you home again.
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  Speaker 1: Only follow me. They did so, and he brought them
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  Speaker 1: home by the very same way they came into the forest.
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  Speaker 1: They dared not go in, but sat themselves down at
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  Speaker 1: the door, listening to what their father and mother were saying.
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  Speaker 1: The very moment the fagot maker and his wife reached home,
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  Speaker 1: the lord of the Manor sent them ten crowns, which
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  Speaker 1: he had owed them a long while, in which they
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  Speaker 1: never expected. This gave them new life, for the poor
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  Speaker 1: people were almost famished. The faggot maker sent his wife
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  Speaker 1: immediately to the butchers, as it was a long while
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  Speaker 1: since they had eaten a bit. She bought thrice as
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  Speaker 1: much meat as would sup two people. When the he
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  Speaker 1: had eaten, the woman said, alas, where are now our
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  Speaker 1: poor children? They would make a good feast of what
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  Speaker 1: we have left here. But it was you, William, who
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  Speaker 1: had a mind to lose them. I told you we
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  Speaker 1: should repent of it. What are they now doing in
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  Speaker 1: the forest? Alas, dear God, the wolves have probably already
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  Speaker 1: eaten them up. Thou art very inhuman. Thus to have
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  Speaker 1: lost thy children the faggot maker grew at last quite
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  Speaker 1: out of patience, for she repeated it above twenty times
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  Speaker 1: that they should repent of it, and that she was
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  Speaker 1: in the right of it for so saying. He threatened
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  Speaker 1: to beat her if she did not hold her tongue.
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  Speaker 1: It was not that the faggot maker was not perhaps
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  Speaker 1: more vexed than his wife, but that she teased him,
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  Speaker 1: and that he was of the humor of a great
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  Speaker 1: many others who love wives to speak well, but think
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  Speaker 1: those very importunate who were continually doing so. She was
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  Speaker 1: half drowned in tears, crying out alas, where are now
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  Speaker 1: my children, my poor children. She spoke this so very
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  Speaker 1: loud that the children who were at the gate began
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  Speaker 1: to cry out altogether. Here we are, Here we are.
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  Speaker 1: She ran immediately to open the door and said, hugging them,
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  Speaker 1: I am glad to see you, my dear children. You
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  Speaker 1: are very hungry and weary, and my poor Peter thou
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  Speaker 1: art horribly bemired. Come in and let me clean thee
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  Speaker 1: Now you must know that Peter was her eldest son,
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  Speaker 1: whom she loved above all the rest, because he was
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  Speaker 1: somewhat carity as she herself was. They sat down to
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  Speaker 1: supper and ate with such a good appetite as pleased
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  Speaker 1: both father and mother, whom they acquainted, how frightened they
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  Speaker 1: were in the forest, speaking almost always altogether, the good
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  Speaker 1: folks were extremely glad to see their children once more
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  Speaker 1: at home, and this joy continued while ten crowns lasted.
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  Speaker 1: But when the money was all gone, they fell again
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  Speaker 1: into their former uneasiness, and resolved to lose them again,
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  Speaker 1: and that they might be the surer of doing it,
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  Speaker 1: to carry them to a much greater distance than before.
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  Speaker 1: They could not talk of this so secretly, but they
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  Speaker 1: were overheard by Little Thumb, who made a count to
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  Speaker 1: get out of this difficulty as well as the former.
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  Speaker 1: But though he got up very early in the morning
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  Speaker 1: to go and pick up some little pebbles, he was disappointed,
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  Speaker 1: for he found the house door double locked, and was
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  Speaker 1: at a stand what to do. When their father had
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  Speaker 1: given them each a piece of bread for their breakfast,
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  Speaker 1: little Thumb fancied he might make use of this instead
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  Speaker 1: of the pebbles, by throwing it in little bits all
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  Speaker 1: along the way they should pass, And so he put
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  Speaker 1: the bread in his pocket. Their father and mother brought
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  Speaker 1: them into the thickest and most obscure part of the forest.
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  Speaker 1: When stealing away into a by path, they there left them.
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  Speaker 1: Little Thumb was not very uneasy at it, for he
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  Speaker 1: thought he could easily find the way again by means
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  Speaker 1: of his bread, which he had scattered all long as
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  Speaker 1: he came. But he was very much surprised when he
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  Speaker 1: could not find so much as one crumb. The birds
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  Speaker 1: had come and eaten it up every bit. They were
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  Speaker 1: now in great affliction, for the farther they went, the
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  Speaker 1: more they were out of their way, and were more
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  Speaker 1: and more bewildered in the forest. Night now came on,
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  Speaker 1: and there arose a terribly high wind, which made them
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  Speaker 1: dreadfully afraid. They fancied they heard on every side of
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  Speaker 1: them the howling of wolves coming to eat them up.
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  Speaker 1: They scarce dared to speak or turn their heads. After this,
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  Speaker 1: it rained very hard, which wetted them to the skin.
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  Speaker 1: Their feet slipped at every step they took, and they
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  Speaker 1: fell into the mire. Whence they got up in a
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  Speaker 1: very dirty pickle. Their hands were quite benumbed. Little Thumb
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  Speaker 1: climbed to the top of a tree to see if
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  Speaker 1: he could discover anything, and having turned his head about
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  Speaker 1: on every side he saw at last a glimmering light
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  Speaker 1: like that of a candle. But a long way from
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  Speaker 1: the forest. He came down, and when upon the ground,
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  Speaker 1: he could see it no more, which grieved him sadly. However,
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  Speaker 1: having walked for some time with his brothers toward that
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  Speaker 1: side on which he had seen the light, he perceived
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  Speaker 1: it again as he came out of the wood. They
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  Speaker 1: came at last to the house where this candle was,
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  Speaker 1: and not without an abundance of fear, for very often
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  Speaker 1: they lost sight of it, which happened every time they
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  Speaker 1: came into a bottom. They knocked at the door, and
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  Speaker 1: a good woman came and opened it. She asked them
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  Speaker 1: what they would have. Little Thumb told them they were
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  Speaker 1: poor children who had been lost in the forest and
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  Speaker 1: desired to lodge there for God's sake. The woman, seeing
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  Speaker 1: them so very pretty, began to weep and said to them,
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  Speaker 1: alas poor babies, why there are ye come? Do ye
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  Speaker 1: know that this house belongs to a cruel ogre who
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  Speaker 1: eats up little children? Ah? Dear Madam, answered little Thumb,
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  Speaker 1: who trembled every joint of him, as well as his brothers.
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  Speaker 1: What shall we do to be sure, the wolves of
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  Speaker 1: the forest will devour us to night if you refuse
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  Speaker 1: us to lie here, and so we would rather the
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  Speaker 1: gentlemen should eat us, and perhaps he might take pity
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  Speaker 1: upon us, especially if you please to beg it of him.
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  Speaker 1: The ogre's wife, who believed she could conceal them from
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  Speaker 1: her husband till morning, let them come in and brought
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  Speaker 1: them to warm themselves at a very good fire, for
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  Speaker 1: there was a whole sheep upon the spit roasting for
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  Speaker 1: the ogre's supper. As they began to be a little warm,
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  Speaker 1: they heard three or four great raps at the door.
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  Speaker 1: This was the ogre, who had come home. Upon this,
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  Speaker 1: she hid them under the bed and went to open
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  Speaker 1: the door. The ogre presently asked of upper was ready
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  Speaker 1: and the wine drawn, and then sat himself down to table.
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  Speaker 1: The sheep was at yet all raw and bloody, but
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  Speaker 1: he liked it the better for that. He sniffed about
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  Speaker 1: to the right and left, saying, I smell fresh meat.
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  Speaker 1: What you smell, so said his wife, must be the
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  Speaker 1: calf which I have just now killed, and played, I
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  Speaker 1: smell fresh meat, I tell thee. Once more, replied the ogre,
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  Speaker 1: looking crossly at his wife. And there is something here
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  Speaker 1: which I do not understand. As he spoke these words,
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  Speaker 1: he got up from the table and went directly to
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  Speaker 1: the bed. Ah Ah said he, I see then, how
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  Speaker 1: thou wouldst cheat me, thou cursed woman. I know not
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  Speaker 1: why I do not eat thee up too, But it
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  Speaker 1: is well for thee that thou art a tough old carrion.
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  Speaker 1: Here is good game which comes very quickly to entertain
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  Speaker 1: three ogres of my acquaintance, who are to pay me
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  Speaker 1: a visit in a day or two. With that, he
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  Speaker 1: dragged them out from under the bed one by one.
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  Speaker 1: The poor children fell upon their knees and begged his pardon.
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  Speaker 1: But they had to do with one of the most
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  Speaker 1: cruel ogres in the world, who, far from having any
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  Speaker 1: pity on them, had already devoured them with his eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and told his wife there would be delicate eating when
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  Speaker 1: tossed up with good savory sauce. He then took a
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  Speaker 1: great knife, and, coming up to these poor children, wetted
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  Speaker 1: it upon a great whetstone, which he held in his
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  Speaker 1: left hand. He had already taken hold of one of
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  Speaker 1: them when his wife said to him, why do you
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  Speaker 1: need it now? Is it not time enough? Tomorrow? Hold
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  Speaker 1: your prating, said the ogre. They will eat the tenderer.
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  Speaker 1: But you have so much meat already, replied his wife.
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  Speaker 1: You have no occasion. Here are calf, two sheep, and
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  Speaker 1: half a hog. That is true, said the Ogre. Give
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  Speaker 1: them their bellyful that they might not fall away, and
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  Speaker 1: put them to bed. The good woman was overjoyed at this,
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  Speaker 1: and gave them a good supper, But they were so
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  Speaker 1: much afraid they could not eat a bit. As for
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  Speaker 1: the Ogre, he sat down again to drink, being highly
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  Speaker 1: pleased that he had got wherewithal to treat his friends.
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  Speaker 1: He drank a dozen glasses more than ordinary, which got
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  Speaker 1: up into his head and obliged him to go to bed.
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  Speaker 1: The Ogre had seven daughters, old little children. And these
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  Speaker 1: young ogresses had all of them very fine complexions, because
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  Speaker 1: they used to eat fresh meat like their father. But
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  Speaker 1: they had little gray eyes, quite round, hooked noses, and
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  Speaker 1: very long sharp teeth. Standing at a good distance from
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  Speaker 1: each other, they were not as yet over and above mischievous,
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  Speaker 1: but they promised very fair for it, for they had
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  Speaker 1: already bitten little children, that they might suck their blood.
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  Speaker 1: They had been put to bed early, with every one
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  Speaker 1: a crown of gold upon her head. There was in
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  Speaker 1: the same chamber a bed of the like bigness, and
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  Speaker 1: it was into this bed the Ogre's wife put the
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  Speaker 1: seven little boys, after which she went to bed. To
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  Speaker 1: her husband. Little Thumb, who had observed that the Ogre's
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  Speaker 1: daughters had crowns of gold upon their heads, and was
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  Speaker 1: afraid lest the Ogres should repent his not killing them,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: got up about midnight, and, taking his brother's bonnets and
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  Speaker 1: his own, went very softly and put them upon the
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  Speaker 1: heads of the seven little ogresses, and having taken off
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  Speaker 1: their crowns of gold, which he put upon his own
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  Speaker 1: head and his brothers, that the Ogres might take them
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  Speaker 1: for his daughters, and his daughters for the little boys,
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  Speaker 1: whom he wanted to kill. All this succeeded according to
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  Speaker 1: his desire. For the Ogre, waking about midnight, and sorry
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  Speaker 1: that he deferred to do that till morning, which he
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: might have done overnight, threw himself hastily out of bed,
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  Speaker 1: and taking his great knife. Let us see, said he
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  Speaker 1: how our little rogues do, and not make two jobs
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  Speaker 1: of a matter. He then went up groping all the
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  Speaker 1: way into his daughters's chamber, and coming to the bed
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  Speaker 1: where the little boys lay, who were every soul of
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  Speaker 1: them fast asleep, except little Thumb, who was terribly afraid
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  Speaker 1: when he found the Ogre, fumbling about his head as
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  Speaker 1: he had done about his brothers. The Ogre, feeling the
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  Speaker 1: golden crowns, said, I should have made a fine piece
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  Speaker 1: of work of it. Truly, I find I drank much
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  Speaker 1: last night. Then he went to the bed where the
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  Speaker 1: girls lay, and, having found the boys's little bonnets, ah
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  Speaker 1: said he, my merry lads, are you there? Let us
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  Speaker 1: work as we ought, And, saying these words without more ado,
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  Speaker 1: he cut the throats of all his seven daughters. Well
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  Speaker 1: pleased with what he had done, he went to bed
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  Speaker 1: again to his wife. So soon as Little Thumb heard
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  Speaker 1: the Ogre snore, he waked his brother and bade them
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: all put on their clothes presently and follow him. They
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: stole down softly into the garden and got over the wall.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: They kept running about all night, and trembled all the while,
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: without knowing which way they went. The Ogre, when he awoke,
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: said to his wife, go upstairs and dress those young
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: rascals who came here last night. The wife was very
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: much surprised to this goodness of her husband, not dreaming
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  Speaker 1: after what manner she should dress them, but thinking that
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  Speaker 1: he had ordered her to go and put on their clothes,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: she went up and was strangely astonished when she perceived
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  Speaker 1: her servant daughters killed and weltering in their blood. She
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: fainted away, For this is the first expedient almost all
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  Speaker 1: women find in such cases. The ogre, fearing his wife
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: would be too long in doing what he had ordered,
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  Speaker 1: went up himself to help her. He was no less
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  Speaker 1: amazed than his wife at this frightful spectacle. Ah, what
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  Speaker 1: have I done? Cried he? The wretches shall pay for it,
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: And that instantly he threw a pitcher of water upon
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  Speaker 1: his wife's face, and, having brought her to herself, said
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  Speaker 1: give me quickly my boots of seven leagues, that I
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  Speaker 1: may go and catch them. He went out, and, having
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: run over a vast deal of ground, both on this
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: side and that, he came at last into the very
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: road where the poor children were, and not above a
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: hundred paces from their father's house. They espied the ogre,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: who went at one step from mountain to mountain and
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: over rivers as easily as the narrowest kennels. Little Thumb,
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: seeing a hollow rock near the place where they were,
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  Speaker 1: made his brothers hide themselves in it, and crowded into
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: it himself, minding always what would become of the ogre.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: The ogre, who found himself much tired with his long
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: and fruitless journey, for these boots of seven leagues, greatly fatigued,
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  Speaker 1: the wearer, had a great mind to rest himself, and
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: by chance went to sit down upon the rock where
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  Speaker 1: the little boys had hid themselves. As it was impossible
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: he could be more wary than he was. He fell asleep, and,
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: after reposing himself some time, began to snore so frightfully
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  Speaker 1: that the poor children were no less afraid of him
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  Speaker 1: than when when he held up his great knife and
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: was going to cut their throats. Little Numb was not
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  Speaker 1: so much frightened as his brothers, and told them that
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  Speaker 1: they should run away immediately toward home, while the Ogre
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: was asleep so soundly, and that they should not be
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  Speaker 1: in any pain about him. They took his advice and
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: got home. Presently Little Thumb came up to the Ogre,
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: pulled off his boots gently and put them on his
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  Speaker 1: own legs. The boots were very long and large, but
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  Speaker 1: as they were fairies, they had the gift of becoming
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  Speaker 1: big and little according to the legs of those who
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: wore them, so that they fitted his feet and legs
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  Speaker 1: as well as if they had been made on purpose
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  Speaker 1: for him. He went immediately to the Ogre's house, where
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: he saw his wife crying bitterly for the loss of
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: the Ogre's murdered daughters. Your husband, said, little Thumb is
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: in very great danger, being taken by a gang of
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: thieves who have sworn to kill him if he does
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  Speaker 1: not give them all his gold and silver. The very
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: moment they held their daggers at his throat, he perceived
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: me and desired me to come and tell you the
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: condition he is in, and that you should give me
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: whatsoever he has of value, without retaining any one thing,
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: for otherwise they will kill him without mercy. And as
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: his case is very pressing, he has desired to make
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: use you see, I have them on of his boots,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: that I might make the more haste and show you
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: that I do not impose upon you. The good woman,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: being sadly frightened gave him all she had for this
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Ogre was a very good husband, though he used to
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: eat up little children. Little Thumb, having thus got all
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: the Ogre's money, came home to his father's house, where
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: he was received with abundance of joy. There are many
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: people who do not agree in this circumstance, and pretend
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: that little Thumb never robbed the Ogre at all, and
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: that he only thought he might very justly and with
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: a safe conscience, take off his boots of seven leagues,
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: because he made no other use of them but to
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: run after little children. These folks affirmed that they are
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: very well assured of this, and the moors, having drunken
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: eden often at the faggot maker's house, they averred that
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: when little Thumb had taken off the Ogre's boots, he
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: went to court, where he was informed that they were
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: very much in pain about a certain army which was
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: two hundred leagues off and the success of a battle.
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: He went, say they to the king, and told him
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: that if he desired it, he would bring him news
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: from the army before night. The King promised him a
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: great sum of money. Upon that condition. Little Thumb was
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: as good as his word and returned that very same
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: night with the news, and this first expedition causing him
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: to be known. He got whatever he pleased, for the
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: King paid him very well for carrying his orders to
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: the army, after having for some time carried on the
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: business of a messenger. He gained thereby great wealth. He
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: went home to his father, where it was impossible to
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: express the joy they were all in at his return.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: He made the whole family very easy, bought places for
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: his fathers and brothers, and by that means settled them
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: very handsomely in the world, and in the meantime made
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: his court to perfection and of little thumb. Recording by
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: Scott Robbins