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 to the leaf and could not get loose from it . Oh , dear ! how terrified poor little Thumbelina was when the cockchafer flew off with her to the tree ! But she was especially distressed on the beautiful white butterfly 's account , as she had tied him fast , so that if he could not get away he must starve to death . But the cockchafer did not trouble himself about that ; he sat down with her on a large green leaf , gave her the honey out of the flowers to eat , and told her that she was very pretty , although she was n't in the least like a cockchafer . Later on , all the other cockchafers who lived in the same tree came to pay calls ; they examined Thumbelina closely , and remarked , ` Why , she has only two legs ! How very miserable ! ' ` She has no feelers ! ' cried another . ` How ugly she is ! ' said all the lady chafers -- and yet Thumbelina was really very pretty . The cockchafer who had stolen her knew this very well ; but when he heard all the ladies saying she was ugly , he began to think so too , and would not keep her ; she might go wherever she liked .
So he flew down XXXXX the tree with her and put her on a daisy .
On about at for from in like of that to