Soyuzmultfilm (Moscow)
Thumbelina based on the tale by Andersen
Screenplay: N. Erdman
Director: L. Amalrik
Art directors: N. Privalova, T. Sazanova
Composer: Nikita Bogodlovskiy
Camera: M. Druyan Sound: G. Martynok
Artists: R. Mirenkova, M. Voskanyants, V. Arbekov,
Y. Butyrin, I. Davydov Y. Komova, A. Davydov
T. Taranovich O. Stolbova, I. Kuroyan
A. Korovina, V. Maksimovich L. Reztsova, G. Andreyeva
O. Gemmerling, M. Rusanova V. Valerianova
B. Sadovnikov, Y. Tannenberg
Voice actors: G. Novozhilova, E. Garin
Y. Ponsova, I. Vlasov M. Yanshin, I. Pototskaya
S. Martinson, T. Dmitriyeva V. Andyushko, M. Tarkhova
Narrator Emmanuil Kaminka
There once lived in this world a childless woman.
So one day, she decided to go...
to a witch!
Don't be afraid. She was a good witch.
She gave a barleycorn seed to the woman, and said:
Place it in the ground, and see what happens.
The girl was very tiny, no bigger than a thumb.
And so she was named Thumbelina.
Ah, how pretty! Who are you?
It's me!
It's me! It's me! It's me!
There ran a stream not far from Thumbelina's home.
The stream ran into a river.
And on the river's swampy shore lived two toads.
A mother toad and her son.
There, we've eaten; now we can sleep a bit.
There, we've slept... now we can eat a bit.
There, we've eaten; now we can sleep a bit.
I won't sleep. I'm bored of it.
Then you must eat again.
I'm bored of eating too.
Then do something. Work.
I'm bored of it.
How can you be bored of it if you've never worked?
I'm bored of it in advance.
What if you went to study something?
No need to tarry! I want to marry!
The day ended... and night began.
The night was warm, so Thumbelina slept with an open window.
A nicely polished walnut shell served as her cradle.
Her mattress was made of the blue petals of violets,
and a rose petal was pulled up to cover her.
Peacefully and quietly slept Thumbelina.
Suddenly...
Don't speak so loud, or you will wake her up!
Well? Isn't she a good bride?
She's good! It's only too bad that she's not green...
Don't worry! She'll become green after living with us for a bit.
I'll take her to a safe place, so that she doesn't run away from her fortune.
We'll have the wedding in the morning. Get ready.
What do I have to get ready for? I'm already ready.
I'd rather get some sleep.
Where am I?
How did I get here?
You brought me here!
What do you want to do with me?
I want to marry you to my son!
I don't want to marry!
Once you see him, you will!
My son is a groom of the highest qua-qua-qualifications!
He's a real looker, in my own image!
I want to go home.
Nonsense! After the marriage you'll live in our qua-qua-quarters.
And where do you live?
In that bog! In the quietest qua-qua-quadrant.
Tomorrow I'll return with my son!
Goodbye!
Do you feel that?
What?
The water has become salty!
You're right.
Maybe our river is turning into the sea?
That's the last thing we needed.
Let's go look.
Girl, what are you crying about?
They want to marry me.
What's bad about that?
To a toad!
How awful!
This cannot be allowed!
We can't bite through.
Too bad we're not pikes.
What do we do?
Get up! It's time to get married.
I'd like to eat first...
Respectable crayfish, won't you agree to bite through something?
I've already had breakfast.
We don't mean food.
A stem from a lily needs to be gnawed through to save a girl.
I am not interested in girls.
Wait, they're trying to marry her against her will!
Why didn't you say so immediately?
I am one of those crustaceans who dislikes such situations,
for I am myself a hermit. Show me the road!
There. Now I can go get married.
Show me the road!
It is them!
He's disgusting!
They'll catch up to me! They will!
No way! You won't get away!
Pull harder! Harder!
Who are you?
A May-bug. A May-bug.
A gentleman.
And this is my home.
How I like it here!
Consider my home to be your home.
Let's live together.
Won't I bother you?
Oh, this is my most fiery desire!
Be my wife, oh beauty!
This is so unexpected! Please allow me time to consider...
I'm a gentleman, and shall wait as long as you desire.
But meanwhile, allow me to propose a walk.
What a freak!
She has only two legs!
She doesn't even have antennae!
She even has a waistline!
Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! Horrible!
Ladies and gentlebeetles!
I feel bad for you! How could someone with your artful taste
suddenly stoop to such poverty? Oh, spin me around!
Alas, we must part.
Why?
Because except for me, nobody liked you.
I wish you luck.
All summer long, poor Thumbelina lived all alone in the woods.
She wove herself a hammock of grass,
and hung it under a big burdock leaf to keep off the rain.
She took honey from the flowers for food,
and drank the dew.
In this way passed the summer, then the autumn,
and winter was approaching.
Who's dancing above my head?
I'm sorry. I didn't know that someone lived here.
"Someone". I'm not a "someone"; I'm a field mouse.
Hey, come on down here.
Why're you dancing?
From cold.
And why're you swaying?
From hunger.
Now I'm warmed up and full.
Well, if you eat so little, stay with me for the whole winter.
You'll help me with the housework.
May I come in?
Neighbour, you are always welcome here. Are you in good health?
I'm spent.
What were you doing?
Counting my riches.
How many reserves I have. Too much to count.
You need a helper.
But he'll steal.
That depends on who is the helper.
Go out for a moment, girl. I need to talk with the mole in secret.
Here: cover yourself with this blanket,
or you'll freeze.
What kind of helper, you ask? You need to marry, neighbour!
But a wife needs to be fed.
Do you know how gluttonous wives are?
There are some who're full after eating half a seed!
Fairy tales.
Not fairy tales, truth.
Here, listen:
Like ice.
She's frozen.
Knock. Knock... knock!
She's alive!
Also, she's a beauty!
I don't need beauty. I don't see anything, anyway.
But I like the fact that she eats little.
All right. I'll think it over.
Half a seed a day.
That's not much for one day.
I'll marry!
But in a year? A year has 365 days.
Half a seed a day...
182.5 seeds per year.
That's not so little, in a year.
No. I won't marry.
Wake up. Wake up, dear swallow. Spring has come.
The sun!
If not for you, I would have never seen the sun again.
Thank you for everything.
May you find happiness!
May you, too, find happiness!
All spring and all summer, the mole counted it this way and that way.
Finally, in the autumn, he decided to marry.
Girl! You were born under a lucky star!
Congratulations.
Just now, our neighbour has asked for your hand.
In a month, you'll be the mole's wife!
Don't worry. You can't die from happiness.
Have pity upon me, hostess! Do not marry me to the mole!
You're mad!
You won't find a better husband than our neighbour.
He's blind. He's rich. A treasure trove, not a husband.
The queen herself hasn't a black coat as fine as his.
I don't want to marry him.
Nonsense!
And if you keep crying, I'll bite you with my white teeth.
Come sit here, rather. And weave the wedding dress.
To help Thumbelina, the field mouse hired four spider-weavers.
The wedding day came.
Are you ready, dear?
Ready, ready!
My dear, I have the honour to introduce my friends to you.
Very well-to-do moles.
Please be nice to them.
My dear, I have decided to grant you a wedding-day gift.
Any wish you ask for shall be granted.
Ask.
Allow me to bid farewell to the sun.
To whom?
To the sun.
What an amusing wish.
Isn't it so, my well-to-do moles?
You are completely correct. The sun is the source of heat and light.
And do the blind need light?
No.
Wish for something else, dear.
I have no other wish.
Well, since I promised, go and bid farewell, but come straight back.
What do you want to do meanwhile, my well-to-do moles?
Let's do some counting...
Now that's a fun pasttime.
5 x 5 is 25. 5 x 8 is 40.
6 x 6 is 36. 2 x 2 is 4.
Goodbye, red sun! I will never see you again.
Hello!
Swallow!
I'm glad to see you, Thumbelina.
Where are you flying?
To warm countries.
Take me with you!
With pleasure!
We're here.
Pick the prettiest flower for yourself,
and live in it.
I'll live not far from you. Over there.
What is your name, beauty?
Thumbelina.
Thumbelina? Thumbelina! Ah! What a beautiful name!
Be my wife, Thumbelina.
But if you refuse, I shall die of grief!
Ah! I am dying.
I accept!
The End
Subtitles by Niffiwan, partially using Jean Hersholt's translation