Hop-o'-My-Thumb
Hop-o'-My-Thumb — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
In the grand, seasonal school of Arborheim, nestled within a colossal, ever-shifting tree, lived six brothers. The eldest were strong and bold, dreaming of glory, but the youngest, Hop, was small and quiet, with a spirit as vast as the forest itself. Their father, a simple woodsman, feared for their future in these times of hardship. Little did he know, the greatest threat wouldn't be poverty, but a darkness hidden deep within the whispering woods.
Page 2
"We barely have enough to eat as it is," their father sighed one evening. "I must take you all deep into the forest tomorrow, to where I heard there is work. You must learn to provide for yourselves." Hop, clutching a small, smooth stone he'd found by the river, felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew the forest held secrets, both beautiful and terrible.
Page 3
As they walked, Hop secretly dropped his smooth, grey stones along the path. His brothers, consumed with bravado, noticed nothing. "Why are you lagging behind, little one?" the eldest sneered. "'Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom,' as Aristotle said," Hop replied softly, not meeting his brother's gaze, "and I know we will need these stones to find our way back."
Page 4
Their father led them to a remote clearing where other woodsmen toiled under the watchful eye of a gruff overseer. As darkness fell, the brothers discovered their father had vanished. Panic set in. "He wouldn't leave us!" the second brother exclaimed, but fear already coiled around their hearts. Hop quietly pointed towards the direction they came, a barely visible trail of grey.
Page 5
Following the stones, they stumbled upon a grand, foreboding castle. Exhausted and desperate, they knocked. A monstrous ogre, with a face like gnarled bark, answered. "Lost, are we?" he boomed, a cruel glint in his eye. "We offer shelter for a price."
Page 6
The price, the ogre revealed, was their servitude. The older brothers, desperate for safety, readily agreed. Hop, however, felt a deep unease. As the ogre led them inside, Hop noticed the ogre's seven daughters asleep in a single room, each wearing a gold crown. He began to think, and he began to whisper.
Page 7
Under the cover of darkness, Hop crept into the ogre's daughters' room. He quietly exchanged their golden crowns for his brothers' woolen caps. As he finished the last switch, he heard the ogre stir in the next room. The ogre said, "'It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt,' as Abraham Lincoln said."
Page 8
The ogre, guided by the caps, crept into the room, thinking to slit the throats of the brothers. He found only his own daughters, crowned in woolen caps. Enraged, he stormed out, vowing revenge. Hop led his brothers through the castle's hidden passages, back into the moonlit forest.
Page 9
As the ogre pursued them, Hop led his brothers to a secret chamber he'd discovered. Inside, chests overflowed with gold. "Take what you need," he instructed, "but not what you desire." His brothers, blinded by greed, stuffed their pockets full. The ogre stormed in, finding them weighed down and vulnerable.
Page 10
Hop, unburdened, slipped past the ogre and escaped with a single, small bag of gold, enough to ensure their family's survival. The ogre, distracted by the greedy brothers, lost them all. The brothers, humbled and repentant, returned home, wiser for their trials. And so they learned that true wealth lies not in endless desire, but in ingenuity and moderation.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
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