Kisah Tom Jempol

Pada zaman Pangeran Arthur yang agung, hiduplah seorang penyihir sakti bernama Merlin, ahli sihir paling terpelajar dan paling terampil yang pernah ada di dunia.

In the days of the great Prince Arthur, there lived a mighty magician, called Merlin, the most learned and skilful enchanter the world has ever seen.

Penyihir terkenal ini, yang bisa berubah wujud menjadi apa pun yang ia sukai, sedang bepergian sebagai pengemis miskin. Karena merasa sangat lelah, ia berhenti di pondok seorang pembajak sawah untuk beristirahat dan meminta sedikit makanan.

This famous magician, who could take any form he pleased, was travelling about as a poor beggar, and being very tired, he stopped at the cottage of a ploughman to rest himself, and asked for some food.

Orang desa itu menyambutnya dengan hangat, dan istrinya, seorang wanita yang berhati sangat baik, segera membawakannya susu di dalam mangkuk kayu serta roti cokelat kasar di atas piring datar.

The countryman bade him welcome, and his wife, who was a very good-hearted woman, soon brought him some milk in a wooden bowl, and some coarse brown bread on a platter.

Merlin sangat senang dengan kebaikan hati sang pembajak sawah dan istrinya; tetapi ia tidak bisa tidak memperhatikan bahwa meskipun segala sesuatu di pondok itu rapi dan nyaman, mereka berdua tampak sangat tidak bahagia.

Merlin was much pleased with the kindness of the ploughman and his wife; but he could not help noticing that though everything was neat and comfortable in the cottage, they seemed both to be very unhappy.

Oleh karena itu, ia bertanya mengapa mereka begitu sedih, dan mengetahui bahwa mereka sangat menderita karena tidak memiliki anak.

He therefore asked them why they were so melancholy, and learned that they were miserable because they had no children.

Wanita malang itu berkata dengan air mata berlinang: “Aku akan menjadi makhluk paling bahagia di dunia jika memiliki seorang putra; meskipun besarnya tidak lebih dari ibu jari suamiku, aku akan merasa puas.”

The poor woman said, with tears in her eyes: “I should be the happiest creature in the world if I had a son; although he was no bigger than my husband’s thumb, I would be satisfied.”

Merlin merasa sangat terhibur dengan gagasan tentang seorang anak laki-laki yang tidak lebih besar dari ibu jari seorang pria, sehingga ia bertekad untuk mengabulkan keinginan wanita malang itu. Maka, tidak lama setelah itu, istri pembajak sawah melahirkan seorang putra, yang sungguh menakjubkan untuk diceritakan!

Merlin was so much amused with the idea of a boy no bigger than a man’s thumb, that he determined to grant the poor woman’s wish. Accordingly, in a short time after, the ploughman’s wife had a son, who, wonderful to relate!

sama sekali tidak lebih besar dari ibu jari ayahnya.

was not a bit bigger than his father’s thumb.

Ratu para peri, yang ingin melihat anak kecil itu, masuk melalui jendela saat sang ibu sedang duduk di tempat tidur mengagumi bayinya.

The queen of the fairies, wishing to see the little fellow, came in at the window while the mother was sitting up in the bed admiring him.

Sang ratu mencium anak itu, memberinya nama Tom Jempol, lalu memanggil beberapa peri yang kemudian mendandani anak baptis kecilnya sesuai perintahnya:

The queen kissed the child, and, giving it the name of Tom Thumb, sent for some of the fairies, who dressed her little godson according to her orders:

“Topi daun ek menjadi mahkotanya; Kemejanya dari jaring yang dipintal laba-laba; Dengan jaket tenunan bulu halus tumbuhan thistel; Celananya terbuat dari bulu burung.

“An oak-leaf hat he had for his crown; His shirt of web by spiders spun; With jacket wove of thistle’s down; His trowsers were of feathers done.

Kaus kakinya dari kulit apel, mereka ikat Dengan bulu mata dari mata ibunya; Sepatunya terbuat dari kulit tikus, Disamak dengan bulu halus di bagian dalam.”

His stockings, of apple-rind, they tie With eyelash from his mother’s eye His shoes were made of mouse’s skin, Tann’d with the downy hair within.”

Tom tidak pernah tumbuh lebih besar daripada ibu jari ayahnya, yang ukurannya biasa saja; tetapi seiring bertambahnya usia, ia menjadi sangat cerdik dan penuh akal.

Tom never grew any larger than his father’s thumb, which was only of ordinary size; but as he got older he became very cunning and full of tricks.

Ketika ia sudah cukup umur untuk bermain bersama anak-anak lelaki lain, dan telah kehilangan semua biji cerinya sendiri, ia biasa merayap ke dalam kantong teman-teman sepermainannya, mengisi saku bajunya, dan keluar tanpa disadari oleh mereka, lalu ikut bermain lagi.

When he was old enough to play with the boys, and had lost all his own cherry-stones, he used to creep into the bags of his playfellows, fill his pockets, and, getting out without their noticing him, would again join in the game.