All Alone

All Alone

Thumbelina felt like crying. She was scared, hungry, and lonely. “ I will not cry, ” she said aloud. “ At least I am free. No one is trying to catch me. ” She felt better. Thumbelina wandered for many days. It was not easy to survive in the forest. Thumbelina used a leaf as an umbrella when it rained.

At night she slept on soft moss in a tree root. Every morning, Thumbelina washed her face with dew from the grass. Then she’d climb a flower and eat a petal or two. “ I’m tired of eating flowers every day, ” she said. She was nibbling on a lily. “ Tired of flowers?” said a red bug with black dots.

“ Oh, I’m sorry, ” said Thumbelina. “ I didn’t see you. I’ll go to another flower. ” “ I’m a ladybug. I don’t eat flowers, ” said the bug. “ I eat tiny insects. ” “ Don’t eat me! I’m not an insect. I’m Thumbelina. ” “ And my name is Ladybird, ” laughed the ladybug. “ Would you like these insects? They’re very good. ”

“ No, thank you, ” Thumbelina said quickly. “ How about some blueberries?” said Ladybird, smiling. “ I can show you where they grow. Follow me. ” Thumbelina clapped her hands and said, “ That sounds wonderful. Thank you! ”

Suddenly the ladybug opened her wings to fly. The lily started to move back and forth. Thumbelina lost her balance and fell off the flower. “ Hey! ” She landed on a sand hill and slid down a dark tunnel. “ Enemy alert! ” someone shouted.