Hop O' My Thumb: A Short Fairytale For Kids

There lived a woodcutter with his wife and seven children. The youngest of a poor woodcutter family's seven children is named Hop-o'-My-Thumb (le petit Poucet). His brothers tease him because of his small height. His tiny height is made up for by his considerable intelligence. He tries a range of strategies to save his life and the lives of his brothers after the parents leave the kids. Let us now get to know the summary of the fairytale along with its morals.

Origin Of The Story

Histoires ou Contes du temps passé, a collection of eight fairy tales by Charles Perrault, first published this tale in 1697. It was published under the title Le Petit Poucet, which translates to Little Thumb, and it has a lot in common with Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk, among other fairy tales. Robert Samber's Histories or Tales of Past Times, published in 1729, was the first English translation of the tale.

Woodcutter and His Children

Summary Of Hop O'My Thumb Story

The youngest child, Hop-O'-My-Thumb, is considered a feeble little fellow but is actually the smartest of the group. He is one of seven siblings who are born within three years of one another. His woodcutting parents can't afford to care for them all, so they abandon the kids in the woods. The kids are led by Hop-O'-My-Thumb to an Ogre who devours children as they leave the chilly, dark woods. The Ogre discovers the children despite the Ogre's wife's best efforts to hide them within, and he gives them one night of sleep before eating them. Hop-O'-My-Thumb replaces the crowns of the seven Ogresses with the caps of the seven siblings out of fear of being killed by the Ogre at night. The Ogre goes on a killing spree in his magical seven-league boots after accidentally slitting the Ogresses' throats. When the Ogre is sleeping in the woods, Hop-O'-My-Thumb steals his boots. He then deceives the Ogre's wife into thinking that her husband has been held captive and that she must use all of her wealth to save him. Hop-O'-My-Thumb brought the money home and married the daughter of a nobleman to live happily ever after.

Ogre and His Wife

Moral Of Hop O'My Thumb Story

The moral of Perrault's story is that parents tend to favour their children who are attractive, big, and strong. Typically, they don't think highly of their young children or those that appear frail and speak little. The children in question, though, could end up saving their families.

Hop O My Thumb and His Brothers

Note to Parents

Parents can teach their children to not judge anyone based on their physical appearance but they should be patient and see if the heart of the person is good or not. Whether they will help them when they are in a problem or not. The hop o'my thumb story pdf.

It is available on the site which parents can read to their kids to make them interested in the story.

Conclusion

The hop o'my thumb story is about the little and smart boy who not only saved the lives of his brothers but also made his family rich using his brain. This story gives a lesson that being smart is more important than being physically beautiful.