On the Swallow’s Wings

Tiny Thumbelina was spending winter in a field mouse’s home when a rich, blind mole came to visit. The mouse had sheltered her from the cold in exchange for housework and stories.

The mouse hoped Thumbelina would marry him, but Thumbelina did not want a life away from sunlight and flowers. The mole wore a soft black coat and disliked the bright world above.

The mole led the mouse and Thumbelina through his new tunnel, where a swallow lay as if dead. He had found the bird while digging between their houses.

Thumbelina felt sorry for the swallow, though the mole and mouse spoke coldly about birds. She remembered how birds had sung to her in summer.

That night, Thumbelina covered the swallow with woven hay and soft down, then felt his heart beating. She had returned quietly because she could not forget the lonely bird.

He was alive but weak: an injured wing had delayed his journey, and the winter cold had overcome him. She added more warmth around his feathers.