The Seven-League Boots (1)

The Seven-League Boots (1)

There was once a woodcutter and his wife who had seven children, all boys.

The eldest was only ten and the youngest only seven.

Everyone was very surprised that they had had so many children in such a short time, but it was because the wife had always born twins, except for the first-born.

The couple was very poor and their seven children were great burden to them because none of them could yet earn his living.

The youngest was extremely delicate and rarely said a word which made them very unhappy.

They thought he was stupid, but in fact he was really very clever.

He was very small and, when he came into the world, he was no bigger than a thumb, which was the reason why he was called Thumbkin.

It seemed to the family that everything this poor child did or said was wrong.

However, he was the finest and the most sensible of his brothers, and even through he talked very little, he listened a great deal.

(1/20)
Seven-League Boots は、ひとまたぎで7 リーグ(約35キロ)歩けるという魔法の長靴です。
1 リーグは約4.8 km。　
親指小僧：(Thumbkin )　には、グリム童話などいくつかの物語がありますが、今回のものは、フランスの詩人シャルル・ペローの童話版です。

何日か後に、別の短い物語との２本立てとなる予定です。