A lonely old woman who has been longing for a child has her wish granted by a good witch, who gives her a seed and tells her to plant it. When she does, it blossoms to reveal a tiny girl the size of a thumb. The woman aptly names her Thumbelina. Thumbelina quickly discovers her small size creates difficulty for her and causes her to feel isolated. One night, her mother tells her about fairies - tiny winged beings of Thumbelina's size. Later, the fairy prince, Cornelius, stumbles upon Thumbelina after hearing her beautiful singing. He introduces himself and the two quickly fall in love while taking a ride on his bumblebee. They promise to meet the next day. However, Mrs Toad, who heard Thumbelina's singing while the two were out, kidnaps her from her bed that night.