the tiny thumbelina woke up very early in the morning , and when she saw where she was she began to cry bitterly ; for on every side of the great green leaf was water , and she could not get to the land . the old toad was down under the marsh , decorating her room with rushes and yellow marigold leaves , to make it very grand for her new daughter - in - law ; then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf where thumbelina lay . she wanted to fetch the pretty cradle to put it into her room before thumbelina herself came there . the old toad bowed low in the water before her , and said : ' here is my son ; you shall marry him , and live in great magnificence down under the marsh . ' ' 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 . 
the fish will help her escape from the toads .
how will thumbelina escape from the old toad and her son ?
how will thumbelina escape from the old toad and her son ?