Section 1
Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had a son that was the size of a thumb and did not experience any growth or increase in size, nor did he grow any hair for several years. On a certain occasion, when the father was about to go out for ploughing, the little son expressed his desire to accompany him by saying, "Father, I want to go out with you." The father was surprised and asked, "You want to come with me?" The father questioned the little one's request by asking, "You want to come with me?" and advised him to stay at home since he would not be of any help and could potentially get lost. However, the little one started crying, and to pacify him, the father kept him in his pocket and took him along. Once they were outside in the field, the father took him out and placed him in a newly plowed furrow. As the little one stayed in the freshly-cut furrow, a huge giant appeared from over the hill. The father pointed towards the giant and said, "Do you see that big monster? He's coming to take you away," hoping to scare the little one into behaving well. Despite the father's warning, the giant only took a few steps with his long legs before he reached the furrow where the little Thumbling was. He picked him up with two fingers, examined him closely, and without uttering a single word, he carried him away. The father stood there frozen in terror, unable to utter a single sound, and believed that his child was lost forever. He thought that he would never see his little one again as long as he lived.
The giant transported him to his abode, nourished him, and Thumbling developed and strengthened in the same way as the other giants. When the duration of two years had elapsed, the elderly giant accompanied him to the woods and desired to test him. He spoke, "Pull up a stick for thyself. "At this point, Thumbling had already grown so strong that he was able to uproot a young tree from the ground. However, the giant believed that they could do better and took Thumbling back with him. He nursed him for another two years." Thumbling's strength had improved so much that when the giant tested him again, he was able to easily uproot an old tree from the ground. But the giant was still not satisfied and decided to nurse him for two more years. The giant was still not content with Thumbling's strength and decided to nurse him for an additional two years. After the two years had passed, the giant took him to the forest again and instructed him to uproot a strong stick. "Now just tear up a proper stick for me, " the boy tore up the strongest oak-tree from the earth, so that it split, and that was a mere trifle to him. "The giant declared, 'Now that will do, you are perfect,' and returned him to the field from where he had taken him. Thumbling's father was there, ploughing the field. The young giant approached him and asked, 'Father, do you see what a fine man your son has grown into?'"
The farmer became frightened and said, "No, you are not my son. I don't want you. Leave me!" The young giant replied, "Truly, I am your son. Allow me to do your work. I can plough as well as you, even better." "No, no, thou art not my son; and thou canst not plough go away!" Feeling intimidated by the giant, the farmer released the plough and stepped away to the side of the field. The youth took hold of the plough and pressed it with only one hand, but his grip was so firm that the plough went deep into the ground. The farmer couldn't bear to witness this and called out to him, "If you want to plough, don't press too hard on it, or it will do a bad job," said the farmer. The young man, however, unhooked the horses from the plough and pulled it himself, telling his father to go home and ask his mother to prepare a large dish of food, while he ploughed the field. The farmer went home and instructed his wife to prepare a meal while the young man ploughed the entire two-acre field by himself. After that, he harnessed himself to two harrows and harrowed the entire land simultaneously. After finishing his work on the field, he went to the forest, uprooted two oak trees, placed them on his shoulders, and attached a harrow and a horse behind and in front of him. He carried them all back to his parents' house with ease, as if they were a lightweight bundle. Upon entering the yard, the youth's mother failed to recognize him and asked, "Who is that dreadful tall man?" The farmer replied, "That is our son." The mother was in disbelief, saying, "No, that cannot be our son. Ours was a little thing." She then called out to him, "Go away, we do not want you!" However, the youth did not speak a word and instead led his horses to the stable, where he fed them oats and hay until they were satisfied.
