Small beings are natural inhabitants in Fairyland. No one is surprised when a child is born only the size of a thumb. And if one suddenly come across a person of this size, they think nothing of it…or rather, they think of how to profit from one so tiny.
Nor is there any surprise when a couple discovers little naked elves have been working through the night for them.
This week’s reading ran the gamut from whimsical (Thumbling) to horrifying (The Robber Bridegroom) Since horror is not my thing, I’m focusing on the whimsical this week!
Writing about tiny humans
Tiny from birth. “...gave birth to a child that was indeed perfect in every way but no bigger than a thumb.”
Wanted. “It’s just as we wished…and he shall be dear to our hearts.” Credit to these parents who loved the child they were given. At one point in the story, the father says, “he’s the apple of my eye, and I wouldn’t sell him for all the gold in the world.”
Given opportunities. “…soon revealed himself to be a clever and nimble fellow who succeeded in all his endeavors.” So they found ways to accommodate their child. When his father muses that he wished someone could drive the wagon for him, Thumbling comes up with a clever way that he could do it, by sitting in the horse’s ear to speak the commands.
Trusted. The boy wants his father to sell him so the family could have money. He thinks he can escape the men who want to put him on display for money in the city. He convinces his father that he will come home again, so the father sells him.
Clever. Thumbling is able to do things other people his size would not, so he uses his size to his advantage to trick several bad guys, from the men who wanted to show him off for money, to the thieves who wanted to steal the pastor’s money.
New Clothes. Both Thumbling and the elves in The Elves and the Shoemaker are given clothes at the end of the story. I’m not sure why being given new clothes is a commonality between the stories this week! Symbolism of acceptance? Of joy? In Thumbling, his clothes were a mess after getting eaten by a cow and then a wolf.
Writing about Elves
Secretive - the elves worked during the night when no one was around.
Helpful - They don’t ask permission, they just see what needed to be done and they help out.
Hard working - They complete their task all in one night. Each night the work doubles and each night they’ve made double the number of shoes.
Appreciative - They don’t ask for anything, but when the shoemaker’s wife makes them clothes, they are tremendously pleased and immediately put them on and begin to dance.
I’m looking forward to other stories with tiny humans and elves to see if they fit these characteristics, too.
