The little fellow was very fond of pancakes, and on Christmas Eve he begged his mother to make a dozen.
The latter replied, “Oh, Hop-o’-my-Thumb, my son, I have no butter, wood, or milk, and we are too poor to buy such things.”
Hop-o’-my-Thumb was very sad and sat down on a stool by the fire, while his mother went to fetch water from the stream.
Suddenly he heard some one call him, and looking up he espied a little lady standing at his elbow.
LOOKING UP HE ESPIED A LITTLE LADY
At first he was too much astonished to speak, but after a few seconds he blurted out, “Who are you, little lady?” She replied, “Hop-o’-my-Thumb, I am your fairy godmother, and because you are sad, and your mother is so poor, for this day I grant you the strength to do anything you may wish.” So saying, she vanished.
At first Hop-o’-my-Thumb thought he had been dreaming, and in order to determine whether his fairy godmother had really paid him a visit, he decided to put her words to the test. He seized his cap and ran to the miller’s.
“Miller,” said Hop-o’-my-Thumb, “my mother would so like to make pancakes on Christmas Eve, but we have no flour. Won’t you give us a little?”
“Well, Hop-o’-my-Thumb,” said the miller, “if you can carry this flour-bin away you can have it.”