' croak , croak , croak!'was all that the son could say . then they took the neat little cradle and swam away with it ; but thumbelina sat alone on the great green leaf and wept , for she did not want to live with the clammy toad , or marry her ugly son . the little fishes swimming about under the water had seen the toad quite plainly , and heard what she had said ; so they put up their heads to see the little girl . when they saw her , they thought her so pretty that they were very sorry she should go down with the ugly toad to live . no ; that must not happen . they assembled in the water round the green stalk which supported the leaf on which she was sitting , and nibbled the stem in two . away floated the leaf down the stream , bearing thumbelina far beyond the reach of the toad . on she sailed past several towns , and the little birds sitting in the bushes saw her , and sang , ' what a pretty little girl!'the leaf floated farther and farther away ; thus thumbelina left her native land .
they thought thumbelina was so pretty that they were very sorry she should go down with the ugly toad to live .
why did the little fishes want to help thumbelina ?
why did the little fishes want to help thumbelina ?