One summer morning, a bluebird, awake instantly as all birds become after hearing a disruptive noise, hopped out of his nest and alighted upon a branch.

The bluebird looked out and spotted a tiny girl emerging from a nearby flower. He wanted to say hello, but the idea made him sweat and tremble. He stared in amazement until he noticed a toad hopping close to the girl.

The bluebird watched in disbelief as the toad hopped up and snatched the tiny girl. She shrieked in fear, but before the bird could stop him, the toad had jumped into the stream and escaped.

When he finally found her, the bluebird discovered that she had gotten away from the toad with the help of some friendly fish and a butterfly. Still, he was too shy to speak to her. He heard from the fish that her name was Thumbelina.

As time passed, the bluebird watched Thumbelina take shelter from the winter cold in the home of an old field house. The bluebird knew he could help her too, but the idea of speaking to her or her noticing him caused him nervousness and distress.

The old mouse tried to force Thumbelina to marry his neighbor, a mole, but she refused. The bluebird watched anxiously as she was pressured further and further into the marriage. He was too afraid to show himself then. What would they say if they saw how nervous he was?

Right before she was set to marry the mole, a swallow came by to rescue her from her plight. The bluebird watched in envy and melancholy as she flew off with the graceful animal.

The bluebird followed the pair, still too attached to Thumbelina to turn back. The swallow left her in a grassy field where she would be safe before leaving. The bluebird wanted to comfort Thumbelina, but he felt too afraid and hid in a tree.

Weeks passed, but the bluebird still could not bring himself to speak to Thumbelina. What would he say? He had watched her and her troubles for so long yet had done nothing? Just thinking about it made him sick and embarrassed.