Household Tales · Chapter
Thumbling as Journeyman explained
Thumbling, a tiny tailor's son, ventures into the world with a needle-sword.
What happens
Thumbling, a tiny tailor's son, ventures into the world with a needle-sword. He leaves home after being carried up the chimney by steam, works for a master but is mistreated, then joins robbers to steal the king's treasure. He cleverly evades capture, declines to be their captain, and takes only a small coin. After working at an inn, maids trick him into being swallowed by a cow, then chopped into sausage meat, and finally smoked in a black pudding. He escapes, is swallowed by a fox, and promises his father's fowls in exchange for freedom. He returns home, gives his father the coin, and the father gives the fox the chickens.
Themes in this chapter
Transformation and Redemption
Thumbling's journey from a dependent child to a clever, independent adventurer who returns home with a coin and a story.
Greed and Its Downfall
The robbers' greed for the king's treasure is thwarted by Thumbling's cleverness, and the maids' greed for revenge leads to their own failure.
Promises and Their Consequences
Thumbling promises the fox his father's fowls to gain freedom, and the father honors that promise, valuing his son over the chickens.
Characters to notice
- Thumbling
The tiny tailor's son who journeys into the world, outwits robbers and guards, survives being swallowed by a cow and a fox, and returns home.
- the master
A master craftsman with whom Thumbling works briefly; his wife mistreats Thumbling.
- the servants
The maids at the inn who resent Thumbling's spying and plot to get rid of him by having him swallowed by a cow.
- the rich man
The king whose treasure chamber is robbed by Thumbling and the band of robbers.
- the Griffin
Not directly present; no match in this chapter.
Key passages
“Thumbling reflected a while, and at length he said, 'yes,' and went with them to the treasure-chamber.”
Thumbling thought it over and agreed to join the robbers in stealing the king's treasure.
Thumbling decides to participate in the robbery, showing his adventurous spirit.
“Then said they, 'Wait, and we will pay thee off!' and arranged with each other to play him a trick.”
The maids plotted revenge against Thumbling for his spying.
The maids conspire to harm Thumbling, leading to his being swallowed by a cow.
“'Oh, you goose, your father would surely love his child far more than the fowls in the yard!'”
Thumbling scolds the reader for questioning why the father gave up the chickens, emphasizing a parent's love for a child.
The tale's moral: a father's love for his son outweighs material possessions.