Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales: Tom Thumb’s Travels

“There was once a tailor who had a son no higher than a thumb, so he was called Tom Thumb. Notwithstanding his small size, he had plenty of spirit, and one day he said to his father, ‘Father, go out into the world I must and will.'”

I’m not going to linger very long/at all on Tom Thumb’s Travels, because it is very much like the tale of Tom Thumb.  There are of course some some specific differences, like in this story Tom Thumb helps robbers get all the money from the king’s money room rather than alert someone of the crime. And it ends with a message directed towards a child reader. 

I’ve discovered that Tom Thumb is not my favorite fairy tale. Maybe I’m bored with it because there are two versions of it in this book, or because I can’t find substantial history to keep me engaged with the text. It could also be because I can’t see past the ending – does Tom Thumb decide to never go out into the world again? Does he retire his mischievous antics? Do I care? Really, I’m just ready to move on so on I go!

Up Next:

• #10 The Young Giant

Extras:

• Although it is an adapted version of Tom Thumb’s Travels (as opposed to a word-for-word reading of the version I have), I recommend this narration of the tale (a Spotify playlist)