A Tom Thumb Short Story & Audiobook

Tom Thumb

Once there was a lovely couple who had always wanted a baby. But a baby never came and it made them sad.

One night the wife looked up at the shiniest star in the sky and made a wish. “We would love a baby and don’t care if it is big or little,” she whispered.

She waited and waited but no baby ever came.

But one evening there was a great big bang from downstairs. The husband ran down to see what it was.

He couldn’t believe his eyes! Sitting on the mat he found a tiny child the size of his thumb.

He called up to his wife.

She rushed down and there was a tiny boy sitting in the palm of her husband’s hand. She couldn’t believe her eyes, either!

They called the boy Tom Thumb because; well, because he really was the size of a thumb.

Tom Thumb never grew any bigger. He was an active little boy and was bored being in the house all day. He wanted to see the world.

He watched his father go off to work and wished he could go with him. 

“It's too dangerous for someone so tiny, you’ll just have to stay at home,” said his father.

Then Tom Thumb had an idea. One morning he crept into the pocket of his father’s work jacket and waited.

His father put his jacket on and off he went to work. Soon he arrived at the marketplace.

Tom Thumb was so excited to hear all the noise of people that he jumped straight out of his father’s pocket!

The tiny boy landed gently on the ground. He looked up and saw lots of great big legs and lots of great big feet. It was like walking through a forest.

Soon, Tom Thumb came out of the village and into the countryside. He was now a bit tired and thought he would find somewhere warm and cosy to sleep. 

Guess what he did? He dived straight into a mouse hole and settled down to sleep. 

Then he heard voices outside. 

He went out and said hello. But the voices belonged to some robbers!

The robbers looked around in surprise but they couldn’t see who’d just spoken.

“Down here,” Tom Thumb said. They looked down and saw him waving up at them.

The robbers were amazed to see such a tiny boy. One of the robbers said they should grab him and sell him for lots of money.

Tom Thumb heard that!

So, when one of them tried to grab him, he slipped away and ran away as fast as he could. He was soon deep in a corn field where no-one could see him. 

The robbers finally gave up looking.

The tiny boy was still tired, so he found himself a cosy place to sleep in the cornfield.

Early next morning Tom Thumb woke up feeling quite hungry. He walked along until he came to a farmyard.

Then he heard a horrible noise, like the roar of a lion. It was a cat, but to a tiny boy it seemed enormous.

The cat looked at him and stuck out its paw to play with him. He didn’t like the look of that so he ran off. The cat started to chase after him. But he was a very fast little runner and soon the cat gave up and started playing with some string.

Just then a chicken saw him and thought the tiny boy was food and gobbled him up. Yes, gobbled him up!

Then the tiny boy said, “Take me home!” 

The chicken was so surprised to hear a voice coming from its tummy. 

It had a very silly look on its face.

The chicken set off and every time Tom Thumb said turn left or turn right, the chicken did as its tummy told it. 

Not long after, the chicken arrived at the tiny boy’s home.

The chicken pecked and scratched at the front door. Tom’s father opened it. 

Just then the chicken gave a very loud cluck and Tom Thumb popped out!

When they saw their tiny boy his father and mother were so happy.

“Where have you been?” they asked.

“Down a mouse hole, chased by a cat and in this chicken’s tummy,” he answered. 

“Thank goodness you are safe,” said Tom Thumb’s father, “and thank you, chicken!”

The chicken clucked and they all laughed.

They were so happy to have the tiny boy back home and they kept the chicken as a family pet. 

But sometimes Tom Thumb made the chicken jump in surprise. He would go behind the chicken and tell it to fly away.

But we all know that chickens are the worst fliers in the world!

The End