Outside in the brook grew many water-lilies , with broad green leaves , which looked as if they were swimming about on the water . The leaf farthest away was the largest , and to this the old toad swam with Thumbelina in her walnut-shell . The tiny Thumbelina woke up very early in the morning , and when she saw where she was she began to cry bitterly ; for on every side of the great green leaf was water , and she could not get to the land . The old toad was down under the marsh , decorating her room with rushes and yellow marigold leaves , to make it very grand for her new daughter-in-law ; then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf where Thumbelina lay . She wanted to fetch the pretty cradle to put it into her room before Thumbelina herself came there . The old toad bowed low in the water before her , and said : ` Here is my son ; you shall marry him , and live in great magnificence down under the marsh . ' ` Croak , croak , croak ! ' was all that the son could say . Then they took the neat little cradle and swam away with it ; but Thumbelina sat alone on the great green leaf and wept , for she did not want to live with the clammy toad , or marry her ugly son . The little fishes swimming about under the water had seen the toad quite plainly , and heard what she had said ; so they put up their heads to see the little girl . When they saw her , they thought her so pretty that they were very sorry she should go down with the ugly toad to live . No ; that must not happen . They assembled in the water round the green stalk which supported the leaf on which she was sitting , and nibbled the stem in two . Away floated the leaf down the stream , bearing Thumbelina far beyond the reach of the toad . On she sailed past several towns , and the little birds sitting in the bushes saw her , and sang , ` What a pretty little girl ! ' The leaf floated farther and farther away ; thus Thumbelina left her native land . A beautiful little white butterfly fluttered above her , and at last settled on the leaf . Thumbelina pleased him , and she , too , was delighted , for now the toads could not reach her , and it was so beautiful where she was travelling ; the sun shone on the water and made it sparkle like the brightest silver . She took off her sash , and tied one end round the butterfly ; the other end she fastened to the leaf , so that now it glided along with her faster than ever . A great cockchafer came flying past ; he caught sight of Thumbelina , and in a moment had put his arms round her slender waist , and had flown off with her to a tree .
The green leaf floated away down the stream , and the butterfly with it , for he was fastened XXXXX the leaf and could not get loose from it .
above before beyond down for in into like to under