bread instead of the pebbles, by throwing crumbs all along the way they
should pass, and so he stuffed it in his pocket. Their father and mother
led them into the thickest and most obscure part of the forest, and
then, stealing away into a by-path, left them there. Little Thumb was
not very much worried about it, for he thought he could easily find the
way again by means of his bread, which he had scattered all along as he
came; but he was very much surprised when he could not find a single
crumb: the birds had come and eaten them all.

They were now in great trouble; for the more they wandered, the deeper
they went into the forest. Night now fell, and there arose a high wind,
which filled them with fear. They fancied they heard on every side the
howling of wolves coming to devour them. They scarce dared to speak or
turn their heads. Then it rained very hard, which wetted them to the
skin. Their feet slipped at every step, and they fell into the mud,
covering their hands with it so that they knew not what to do with them.

Little Thumb climbed up to the top of a tree, to see if he could
discover anything. Looking on every side, he saw at last a glimmering
light, like that of a candle, but a long way beyond the forest. He came
down, and, when upon the ground, he could see it no more, which
grieved him sadly. However, having walked for some time with his
brothers toward that side on which he had seen the light, he discovered
it again as he came out of the wood.

They arrived at last at the house where this candle was, not without
many frights; for very often they lost sight of it, which happened
every time they came into a hollow. They knocked at the door, and a good
woman came and opened it.