Thumbelina

A barley seed planted by a lonely widow grows into a tiny girl. The old woman names her Thumbelina and raises her as her own. This unlikely birth marks the start of a life lived in longing for companionship.

Thumbelina loves her mother but longs for a companion of her own size. She gazes out beyond the window and imagines friends who can truly share her world. Her yearning foreshadows the adventures to come.

The fairy prince Cornelius discovers Thumbelina after hearing her singing and is amazed by her tiny grace. They ride on Cornelius's bumblebee and quickly fall in love. The moment marks a turning point as two sizes meet and romance blooms.

Mrs. Toad, enchanted by Thumbelina's singing, abducts her to join a traveling troupe and marry her son Grundel. Thumbelina is taken to the toad's lair, torn from her beloved Cornelius. The abduction sets the rescue in motion as winter nears.

A bold swallow named Jacquimo swoops in and frees Thumbelina from Mrs. Toad's clutches. Thumbelina escapes with Jacquimo and continues the journey back toward her home. The rescue rekindles hope that she might still be with Cornelius.

Back in the Vale of the Fairies, Cornelius pleads with his parents to delay winter as long as possible. They can hold winter for only a day, giving the lovers a brief chance to be together. The request places time pressure on all sides.

Grundel learns Thumbelina has escaped and sets out to find her. He enlists Berkeley Beetle, a pop singer, to help lure Thumbelina by promising to show her the way home if she sings at Beetle Ball. The two form a precarious plan to capture her and use Cornelius as bait.

Thumbelina goes to Beetle Ball to sing, hoping to gain a path home. During the performance her disguise falls away and she is loudly denounced as ugly by the crowd. Beetle, unable to defend her, rejects her in front of the crowd.

Winter begins to grip the land as Jacquimo injures his wing and collapses from the cold, and Cornelius falls into a pond and freezes. The two lovers are separated as the season tightens its grip. The world grows harsher, and Thumbelina's hope wavers.

Thumbelina hides in an old shoe, where Miss Fieldmouse discovers her and introduces her to Mr. Mole, who has hired Grundel to capture Thumbelina. Thumbelina becomes entangled in Mole's plan while worrying about Cornelius. The underground world closes in as winter deepens.

Jacquimo revives and vows to find Cornelius, while Thumbelina appears to accept Mr. Mole's proposal to ensure safety. The plan advances toward a wedding, but the emotional stakes remain high as love persists. The clock ticks toward a dramatic confrontation.

Beetle warns Grundel of Thumbelina's upcoming wedding, spurring chaos at Mole's hall. Cornelius returns to rescue Thumbelina and fights Grundel, and they tumble into a hole. Thumbelina escapes with a pile of Mole's treasure and, in the Vale of the Fairies, grows her own wings to marry Cornelius and depart on his bumblebee for a new life.