Little Thumbkins lived in a tiny house right beneath a mushroom. The house was made of cobwebs which Thumbkins had gathered from the bushes.
One day, Thumbkins was passing through the meadow and it began to rain. A Mama Lark, sitting in her nest, saw Thumbkins running and called out, “Come here under my wing, little man; I will keep you warm and dry.”
So, Thumbkins crawled beneath Mama Lark’s wings. Snuggling down into the Lark’s nest, he found three tiny little baby larks.
After a while, Thumbkins could not hear raindrops pattering upon Mama Lark’s back. He came out. Mama Lark was soaking wet. She looked very uncomfortable. Thumbkins asked, “Are you cold, Mama Lark?”
“Yes, indeed!” Mama Lark replied as she shook her wet feathers, sending the water drops flying in all directions.
“But, you see,” she continued, “if I do not cover my babies, they would get very, very cold, for they have little bald heads with no feathers to protect them. So, even if I get wet, it does not matter, for I know I have kept my little chicks dry and warm. That makes me very happy.”
Thumbkins thanked Mama Lark and told her about his cozy little house beneath the mushroom. “It is always nice and dry there,” he said, “for the rain runs right off the mushroom and does not touch my little cobweb home.”
That night as Thumbkins lay in his little bed, he heard loud thunder. ‘I’m glad that I am at home!’ he thought, and turned over and tried to go to sleep.
Soon, it began to rain. Thumbkins could not sleep.
He got out of his bed and lit his tiny lantern. Then, he pulled his little hat well down on his head and ran out into the storm. Mama Lark was sitting upon her nest with her head tucked under her wing. Thumbkins could see that she shivered as the cold raindrops splashed upon her back from all sides.
So, he ran to the woods where he knew the mushrooms grew. Pulling out the largest one, he carried it to Mama Lark’s nest. Thumbkins then planted the mushroom next to the nest. So, the raindrops rolled off the round mushroom-top and did not touch Mama Lark at all.
Then, shivering himself, he ran back home as fast as he could. Changing his clothes, Thumbkins climbed into his warm little bed and fell asleep, happy.
