Little Thumb

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

A classic survival-and-wit fairy tale for older kids. It’s best read in chapters, with satisfying ‘smart solution’ moments that feel empowering rather than scary.

Story Synopsis

A poor woodcutter and his wife struggle to feed their seven sons. The youngest, Little Thumb, is so small he was said to be no bigger than a thumb at birth. He speaks little, and people mistake his quiet for foolishness. But Little Thumb listens—carefully. When the family’s hunger becomes desperate, the parents make a heartbreaking plan to leave the boys in the forest. Little Thumb overhears and prepares. The first time, he drops small stones along the path, and the boys follow them back home. But hardship returns, and the parents try again—this time Little Thumb can’t find stones, so he uses crumbs. Birds eat them, and the boys are truly lost. In the deep woods, danger and chance collide. The brothers find shelter that is not what it seems, and Little Thumb must act quickly to save them. He relies on observation, courage, and strategy—winning not by strength, but by intelligence. Over time, Little Thumb’s clever choices change the family’s fate. The story becomes a lasting bedtime theme for ages 9–11: you can feel afraid and still think clearly; you can be small and still be the one who leads.

Story Excerpt

Once upon a time, in a poor little cottage near the edge of a great forest, there lived a woodcutter who made bundles of sticks to sell. He lived there with his wife and their seven sons. The oldest boy was only ten, and the youngest was seven. That youngest child was very small — so small that when he was born, people said he was no bigger than a thumb. So everyone called him Little Thumb. Little Thumb hardly ever spoke. Some people thought he was simple - minded. But it was the opposite : he listened closely, and he thought carefully. He was often given the hardest chores, and somehow he was blamed whenever anything went wrong. Still, he stayed quiet, and he watched. That year, the harvest failed. Food grew scarce. The parents tried everything, but their cupboard stayed empty. One cold evening, when the boys were asleep, the woodcutter sat by the fire with his wife. His voice shook. “ We can’t feed them, ” he said. “ I can’t bear to watch them grow weaker. Tomorrow … we will take them into the forest. While they gather sticks, we will slip away. They won’t see us go. ” His wife pressed her hands to her face. “ Lose our children in the woods? ” she cried. “ How could you say such a thing? ” He spoke of their hunger and their fear. She argued, she wept — because she was their mother. But at last, thinking of seven hungry children and no bread at all, she agreed, and went to bed crying. Little Thumb had not been…

In One Glance