The whole summer poor little Thumbelina lived alone in the great wood. The summer and autumn passed, but then came winter-the long, cold winter. She was terribly cold. Poor little Thumbelina! she would surely be frozen to death.
She came across the door of a field-mouse, who had a little hole under a corn-stalk. Thumbelina went up to the door and begged for a little piece of barley.
'Poor little creature!' said the field-mouse, come into my warm room and have some dinner with me.'
As Thumbelina pleased her, she said: 'As far as I am concerned you may spend the winter with me; but you must keep my room clean and tidy, and tell me stories, for I like that very much.'
