The Thumb-Sized Man

There was a man, as big as a fist, with a beard as big as a fist, and his wife was as big as a fist. His wife said: "Go and bring me a pound of wool." The man, as big as a fist, with a beard as big as a fist, went, bought a pound of wool, and brought it to his wife.

The wife took the wool, fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of woolen shoes with leggings. She gave them to her husband and sent him to town to sell them, so she could buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. The man, as big as a fist, with a beard as big as a fist, went on his way. On the road, he met a companion.

"Hello, man as big as a fist!"
"Hello!"
"Where are you going, man as big as a fist?"
"I bought a pound of wool for my wife. She fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of shoes with leggings. She sent me to town to sell them and buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. So I'm on my way, happy as can be."
"Would you like to trade those shoes with leggings for a chicken?"
"Why not? I'll trade."

So he traded the shoes with leggings for a chicken. The man, as big as a fist, with a beard as big as a fist, carried the chicken and continued on his way. He met another companion.

"Hello, man as big as a fist!"
"Hello!"
"Where are you going, man as big as a fist, and where are you taking that chicken?"
"I bought a pound of wool for my wife. She fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of shoes with leggings. She sent me to town to sell them and buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. I traded the shoes with leggings for a chicken, and now I'm on my way, happy as can be."
"Would you like to trade that chicken for a goose?"
"Why not? I'll trade."

So the man as big as a fist traded the chicken for a goose and continued on his way, carrying the goose. He met another person.

"Hello, man as big as a fist!"
"Hello, friend!"
"Where are you going, man as big as a fist, and where are you taking that goose?"
"I bought a pound of wool for my wife. She fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of shoes with leggings. She sent me to town to sell them and buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. I traded the shoes with leggings for a chicken, the chicken for a goose, and now I'm on my way, happy as can be."
"Would you like to trade that goose for a lamb?"
"Why not? I'll trade."

So the man as big as a fist traded the goose for a lamb and went on his way. He met another person.

"Hello, man as big as a fist!"
"Hello, friend!"
"Where are you going, man as big as a fist, and where are you taking that lamb?"
"I bought a pound of wool for my wife. She fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of shoes with leggings. She sent me to town to sell them and buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. I traded the shoes with leggings for a chicken, the chicken for a goose, the goose for a lamb, and now I'm on my way, happy as can be."
"Would you like to trade that lamb for a calf?"
"Why not? I'll trade."

So the man as big as a fist traded the lamb for a calf and went on his way. As he walked, he met a merchant. The merchant said:

"Hello, man as big as a fist! Where are you going, and where are you taking that calf?"
"I bought a pound of wool for my wife. She fluffed it, combed it, spun it, wound it, and knitted a pair of shoes with leggings. She sent me to town to sell them and buy fabric for a dress with a bodice insert. I traded the shoes with leggings for a chicken, the chicken for a goose, the goose for a lamb, the lamb for a calf, and now I'm on my way, happy as can be."
"Would you like to trade that calf for the tsar's awl?" said the merchant. The man as big as a fist got angry, waved his beard as big as a fist, and shouted:

"How dare you! Am I crazy to trade a calf for an awl, even if it's the tsar's? I won't get fabric for my wife's dress with a bodice insert!"
And he chased the merchant away.

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The Thumb-Sized Man

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