Let me tell you an old story......... (Dutch people will surely understand.)

There was once a poor woodchopper. "This woodchopping", he said one day
to his woman, "there sits no dry bread in it. I work myself an accident
the whole day, but you and our twelve children have not to eat."
- "I see the future dark in", his woman agreed.
- "We must try to fit a sleeve on it", the woodchopper resumed; "I have a
plan: tomorrow we shall go on step with the children, and then, in the
middle of the wood, we'll leave them to their fate over."
His woman almost went off her little stick when she heard this. "What is
there with you on the hand?" she cried, "Aren't you good sob?"
But the woodchopper wasn't brought off his piece by her wailing, he gave
no shrink. "It cannot differ to me what you think", he said. "There sits
nothing else on, tomorrow we leave them in the wood."

Little Thumbie, the youngest son, had listened off his parents'
conversation. The next morning before day and dew he went out and filled
his pockets with pebbles. During the walk into the wood he knew
unmarked-up to drop them one by one. Then the parents told the children
to sprockle some wood, and shined the plate.
When the parents didn't come for the day anymore, the children understood
that they had been left in the stitch. Soon the waterlanders appeared.
But Thumbie said: "don't sit down by your packages. I will sorrow for it
that we all get home wholeskins." Thank be the pebbles, he was able to
find his way back.

- "By God", the parents said as they turned up, "how have you ragged him
that?"- "No art on", said Thumbie and explained what he had done. "If you
want to be rid of us you will have to stand up a bit earlier."
That is just what the parents did. This time there came no pebbles on to
pass, all Thumbie had was a piece of dry bread. He decided that his bread
there then but must believe to it. He left a trail of breadcrumbs but he
didn't have it in the holes that they were being made into soldiers by
the birds.

His parents departed with the Northern sun, as on the day before, but
this time Thumbie soon touched rid of the trail. What now? Good counsel
was expensive. The sun was already under, it was raining pipestems and
the crying stood Little Thumbie nearer than the laughing. At last he saw
a tiny light through the trees; it turned out to be a house.

The lady who stood them to word was a giantess. She gave them what to eat
but Little Thumbie received the feeling that something wasn't fluff. He
had understood that the giantess' man, the giant, was a people-eater who
would see no bone in devouring them. "If we do not pass up", he though,
"we shall be the cigar"; as soon as they saw their chance clean they took
the legs and smeared him.
When the giant came home, he sniffed the air and bellowed: "I smell
people flesh! Woman, why have you let them go there through? Bring me my
seven-league boots, I go them behind after!"
He was about to haul the children in, but, wonder above wonder, just then
he decided to lie down in order to snap a little owl.
- "Shoot up, help me!" Thumbie said to his brothers as soon as the giant
lay there pipping, "we must see to make him his seven-league boots
off-handy." He squeezed him like an old thief but they knew him to draw
his boots out. "Now we must make that we come away!" Little Thumbie said.
He put on the boots and quickly made himself out of the feet, carrying
his brothers along. Also, he had seen chance to roll the giant's pockets
and pick in all his gold pieces.
- "How have you boxed that before each other?" cried Thumbie's parents in
amazement when he showed up.
- "It was a pod-skin", said Little Thumbie modestly. "I may be small but
I stand my little man. And look, I have also brought a lot of poon. We
used not to be able to allow ourselves billy-goat's leaps, but now we
have our sheep on the dry. We will never come anything too short again! I
shall be able to buy myself a nail-suit at last! And a woody-stringy!"
- "And I a soup-dress", cried his mother, "they are you of it these days."
- "Great", his father exulted, "I shall buy us a motor-car."
That afternoon he came riding to the fore in a sled of a wagon. "I seem
to be having trouble riding straight out", Thumbie's father complained.
- "That you thank the cuckoo", his woman said, "you have a piece in your
collar. I shall stop you in bed.

The next day all the children were stuck in the clothes as well. In her
new soup-dress mother looked a cleanliness. After that, they moved to The
Hague where they bought a chest of a house on the New Explanation, and
lived happily ever after.

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