There was a woman gambler who had an only son, who was no taller than one's thumb. So he was called Thumbie.

And it so happened that Thumbie and his mother set out for the palace, for Thumbie was to be married to the Princess.

So they came to the palace and the match was soon made. And before long, the wedding took place.

Now, when they were going to sit down to the wedding feast, Thumbie sat at the table by the princess's side. But he had a problem, for when he was to eat he couldn't reach up to the table. So the princess helped him up on to the table, so he got a bit to eat.

Now it went good and well so long as he had to eat off a plate, but then there came a great bowl of porridge that he couldn't reach up to. But Thumbie soon found out a way to help himself; he climbed up and sat on the lip of the bowl.

There was a pat of melting butter right in the middle of the bowl, and he couldn't reach it. So he went on and took his seat at the edge of the melting butter. But just then the princess tried to dip a great spoonful of porridge into the butter. She went too near Thumbie, and tipped him over into the butter. And that was how Thumbie was drowned in the melted butter.