Moments in Maturation: ‘Thumbelina’

In Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, Thumbelina discovers that she can find happiness if she sticks to her beliefs and doesn’t compromise her virtues.

In this 1906 illustration from the "Yellow Fairy Book," Thumbelina brings down to the injured swallow. Her kindness to the swallow results in her eventual liberation from an unwanted marriage. Public Domain

Growing up can be extremely scary, yet, in his fairy tale “Thumbelina,” Hans Christian Andersen showed that virtue and goodness can be maintained throughout the process of maturation, no matter how terrible a situation may be.

An old woman wishes to have a little child of her own, so she asks a witch how to get one. In response, the witch gives her a seed and tells her to plant it.