The Brave Little Tailor

One summer’s morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window. He was in good spiritswindow; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might.

Then a peasant woman camecame a peasant woman down the street crying, “Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!”

This sounded pleasant to the tailor. He stretched his delicate head out of the windowrang pleasantly in the tailor’s ears; he stretched his delicate head out of the window, and called, “Come up here, dear woman; you can sell your goods herehere you will get rid of your goods.”

The woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her unpack allthe whole of the pots for him.

He inspected every pot, lifted each one and put his nose to it. At last heall of them, lifted them up, put his nose to them, and at length said, “The jam seems good to me. Weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it comes to a quarter of a pound, that does not matter.to me to be good, so weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of a pound that is of no consequence.Explanation: Four ounces of jam equal a quarter of a pound. The tailor makes his tiny order sound generous, although both amounts are the same.”

The woman had hoped to make a good sale. She gave him what he wanted,who had hoped to find a good sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angry and grumbling. “Now, may God bless this jam for meGod bless the jam to my use,” cried the little tailor, “and give me health and strength!” He tookstrength;” so he brought the bread out of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread the jam over it. “This won’t taste bitter,” he said,said he, “but I will just finish the jacket before I take a bite.”

He laid the bread beside him and sewed on. In his joy, henear him, sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger stitches. In the meantime the smell of sweet jam rose to the wall, where crowds of flies were sitting. It attracted them, and they swarmed down onto itthe sweet jam ascended so to the wall, where the flies were sitting in great numbers, that they were attracted and descended on it in hosts. “Hola! Who invited you?” said the little tailor. He drove the uninvitedwho invited you?” said the little tailor, and drove the unbidden guests away.

The flies, however, understood no German. They would not be driven away, but kept coming back in greater and greater numbers.who understood no German, would not be turned away, but came back again in ever-increasing companies.

At last the little tailor lost all patience. He took a bit of cloth from the hole under his work-table. “Just wait! I’ll give it to you!” he said, and struck them mercilessly with it.The little tailor at last lost all patience, and got a bit of cloth from the hole under his work-table, and saying, “Wait, and I will give it to you,” struck it mercilessly on them.

When he lifted the cloth and counted, no fewer than seven flies lay before him, dead, with theirdrew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer than seven, dead and with legs stretched out. “Are you that sort of fellow?” he said to himself, unable to stop“Art thou a fellow of that sort?” said he, and could not help admiring his own bravery. “The whole town shall know of this!” The little tailor hurried to cut himself a belt, stitched itAnd the little tailor hastened to cut himself a girdle, stitched it, and embroidered on it in large letters, “Seven at one stroke!” “What, the town!” he continued, “The whole world shall hear of it!” Hisand his heart wagged with joy like a lamb’s tail.

The tailor put on the belt and decided to go out into the world. Hegirdle, and resolved to go forth into the world, because he thought his workshop was too small for his valour. Before leaving, he searched the house for something to take with him. But he found nothing but an old cheese and put ithe went away, he sought about in the house to see if there was anything which he could take with him; however, he found nothing but an old cheese, and that he put in his pocket. In front of the door he noticed a bird that had got caughtobserved a bird which had caught itself in the thicket.

It had to go into his pocket with the cheese.

Now he boldly took to the road. Being light and nimble, he did not feel tired.took to the road boldly, and as he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue.

The road led him up a mountain. At the summit sat a powerful giant, comfortably looking around him.mountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, there sat a powerful giant looking about him quite comfortably.

The little tailor bravely went up to himwent bravely up, spoke to him, and said, “Good day, comrade, so you are sitting here looking out over the wide world! I am on my way into it to try my luck. Would you like to comethou art sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world! I am just on my way thither, and want to try my luck. Hast thou any inclination to go with me?” The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, and said, “You ragamuffin! YouThou ragamuffin! Thou miserable creature!”

“Oh, indeed?” answered the little tailor. He unbuttoned his coat and showed the giant his belt. “Read that and see what kind oftailor, and unbuttoned his coat, and showed the giant the girdle, “There mayst thou read what kind of a man I am!” The giant read, “Seven at one stroke,” and thought the tailor had killed seven men. Hethat they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow. Still, he wanted to test him first. He took a stone in his hand and squeezed it until water dripped out.Nevertheless, he wished to try him first, and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water dropped out of it. “Do the samethat likewise,” said the giant, “if you have the strength!thou hast strength?” “Is that all?” said the tailor. “That is child’s play for us!” He put his hand in his pocket, took out the soft cheese and squeezed it until liquid ran out. “Well,” he said,tailor, “that is child’s play with us!” and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, and pressed it until the liquid ran out of it. “Faith,” said he, “that was a little better, wasn’t it?”

The giant did not know what to say, and could not believe the little man had done itit of the little man.

Then the giant picked up a stone and threw it so high that the eye could barelyscarcely follow it. “Now, little mite of a man, do the samethat likewise.” “Well thrown,” said the tailor, “but the stone came back down to earth. I will throw one that willafter all the stone came down to earth again; I will throw you one which shall never come back at all.” He put his hand into his pocket, took out the birdAnd he put his hand into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air. The bird, delighted to be freewith its liberty, rose, flew away and did not come back. “How does that shot please you, comrade?” asked the tailor. “You canThou canst certainly throw,” said the giant, “but now we will see whether you canif thou art able to carry anything properly.”

He took the little tailor to a mighty oak that had been cut down and laytree which lay there felled on the ground, and said, “If you arethou art strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of the forest.” “Gladly,” answered the little man. “Take the trunk on your shoulders, and I will lift the branches and twigs. After“Readily,” answered the little man; “take thou the trunk on thy shoulders, and I will raise up the branches and twigs; after all, they are the heaviest.”

The giant took the trunk on his shoulder, but the tailor sat on a branch. Unable to look round, the giant had to carry the whole tree and the little tailor into the bargain. Behind him, the tailor was merry and happy, whistlingseated himself on a branch, and the giant who could not look round, had to carry away the whole tree, and the little tailor into the bargain: he behind, was quite merry and happy, and whistled the song, “Three tailors rode forth from the gate,” as if carrying the tree were child’s play.

After dragging the heavy burden part of the way, the giant could go no further. HeThe giant, after he had dragged the heavy burden part of the way, could go no further, and cried, “Listen, I shall have to drop the treeHark you, I shall have to let the tree fall!” The tailor sprang nimbly down, seized the tree with both arms as if he had been carrying it, and said to the giant, “You are such a huge fellow, yet you cannotThou art such a great fellow, and yet canst not even carry the tree!”

They went on together. As they passed a cherry-tree, the giant took hold of its top, where the ripest fruit hung. He bent it down, put it into the tailor’s hand and told him totogether, and as they passed a cherry-tree, the giant laid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit was hanging, bent it down, gave it into the tailor’s hand, and bade him eat.

But the little tailor was much too weak to hold the tree. When the giant let go, it sprang back and flung the tailor into the air.tree, and when the giant let it go, it sprang back again, and the tailor was hurried into the air with it.

When he landed unhurthad fallen down again without injury, the giant said, “What is this? Haven't you the strength to hold a flimsyHast thou not strength enough to hold the weak twig?” “There is no lack of strength,” answered the little tailor. “Do you think that could be any troubleDost thou think that could be anything to a man who has struck down seven at one blow? I leapt over the tree because the huntsmen are shooting down there in the thicket. Jump as I did, if you canthou canst do it.”

The giant tried, but could not get over the tree. He was left hanging in the branches, so once againmade the attempt, but could not get over the tree, and remained hanging in the branches, so that in this also the tailor kept the upper hand.

The giant said, “If you are such a bravethou art such a valiant fellow, come with me into our cavern and spend the night with us.”

The little tailor was willing, and followed him.

When they entered the cave, other giants were sitting by the fire. Each heldwent into the cave, other giants were sitting there by the fire, and each of them had a roasted sheep in his hand and was eating it.

The little tailor looked round and thought, “It is much more spacious here than in my workshop.”

The giant showed him a bed, and said he was to lie down in it and sleep.

The bed, however, was too big for the little tailor; he did not lie down in it, but crept into a corner.

At midnight, the giant thought the little tailor was sound asleep. He got up, took a great iron bar and cut through the bed with one blow. He thought he had dealt the little grasshopper his final blow.When it was midnight, and the giant thought that the little tailor was lying in a sound sleep, he got up, took a great iron bar, cut through the bed with one blow, and thought he had given the grasshopper his finishing stroke. At the first light of dawn, the giants went into the forest, having quite forgotten the little tailor. Suddenly he walked up to them, merry and bold.With the earliest dawn the giants went into the forest, and had quite forgotten the little tailor, when all at once he walked up to them quite merrily and boldly.

The giants were terrified. Afraid he would strike them all dead, theyterrified, they were afraid that he would strike them all dead, and ran away in a great hurry.

The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed nose.

After walking for a long time, he reached the courtyard of a royal palace. Feelinghe had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of a royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and fell asleep. While he lay there, people came and inspected him from all sides. They read on his belt,Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on all sides, and read on his girdle, “Seven at one stroke.” “Ah,” they said,said they, “What is this great warrior doing here in peacetimedoes the great warrior here in the midst of peace? He must be a mighty lord.” They went to tell the King about him. In their opinion, if war broke out, he would be an important and useful man who must not be allowed to leave.and announced him to the King, and gave it as their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to depart. The advicecounsel pleased the King, and he sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke.

The ambassador stood beside the sleeper. He waited until the tailor stretched his limbs and opened his eyes, then made him the offer.remained standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal. “That is exactly why I have come here,” the tailor replied.“For this very reason have I come here,” the tailor replied, “I am ready to enter the King’s service.”

So he was honourably received, and a special dwelling was set aside forHe was therefore honorably received and a special dwelling was assigned him.

The soldiers, however, were hostile toset against the little tailor, and wished him a thousand miles away. “How will this end?What is to be the end of this?” they said to one anotheramongst themselves. “If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him, seven of us will fall at every blow; not one of us can stand against him.” So they made a decision. They went together to the King and begged to be released from his service.They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body to the King, and begged for their dismissal. “We are not prepared,” said they, “to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke.”

The King was sorry to lose all his faithful servants for the sake of one man. He wished he had never set eyes on the tailor and would gladly have got rid of him.that for the sake of one he should lose all his faithful servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, and would willingly have been rid of him again.

But he did not dare dismiss him, for he feared the tailor would kill him and all his peopleventure to give him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all his people dead, and place himself on the royal throne.

He thought about it for a long time and at last came up with a plan.time, and at last found good counsel.

He sent word to the little tailor: since he was such a great warrior, the King had a request forto the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was such a great warrior, he had one request to make to him. Two giants lived in a forest in his country. They robbed, murdered, laid waste and set fires. No one could go near them without riskingIn a forest of his country lived two giants who caused great mischief with their robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach them without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor conquered and killed these two giants, he could marry the King's only daughter and receive half the kingdom as her dowry. A hundred horsemen would also go with him to helpwould give him his only daughter to wife, and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him. “That would indeed be a fine thing for a man like me!” thought the little tailor. “One is not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one’s life!” “Oh, yes,” he replied, “I will soon defeatsubdue the giants, and do not need the hundred horsemen’s help. A man who can hit seven with one blow has no need to fearrequire the help of the hundred horsemen to do it; he who can hit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two.”

The little tailor set outwent forth, and the hundred horsemen followed him.

When he came to the outskirts of the forest, he said to his followers, “Just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finish off the giants.”

Then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left.

After a while he spottedperceived both giants. They lay sleeping under a tree, and snored so that the branches waved up and down.

The little tailor did not waste time. He filled two pockets with stones and climbed the tree with them.tailor, not idle, gathered two pocketsful of stones, and with these climbed up the tree.

Half-way up, he slid down along a branch until he sat just above the sleepers. Then he dropped one stone after another onto one giant’s chest.When he was half-way up, he slipped down by a branch, until he sat just above the sleepers, and then let one stone after another fall on the breast of one of the giants. For a long time the giant felt nothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and said, “Why are you hittingart thou knocking me?” “YouThou must be dreaming,” said the other, “I am not hitting youknocking thee.” They lay down to sleep again. Then the tailor threw a stone down onto the second giant.laid themselves down to sleep again, and then the tailor threw a stone down on the second. “What is the meaning of this?” cried the other. “Why are you throwing things atart thou pelting me?” “I am not throwing things at youpelting thee,” answered the first, growling. They argued for a while. But they were weary, so they let the matter rest and closed their eyesdisputed about it for a time, but as they were weary they let the matter rest, and their eyes closed once more.

The little tailor began his game again, picked out the biggest stone, and threw it with all his might onto the first giant’s cheston the breast of the first giant. “That is too bad!” he cried. He sprang up like a madmancried he, and sprang up like a madman, and pushed his companion against the tree until it shook. The other paid him back in the same coin. They grew so furious that they tore up trees and beat each other with them until they both fellcoin, and they got into such a rage that they tore up trees and belabored each other so long, that at last they both fell down dead on the ground at the same time.

Then the little tailor leapt down. “It is a lucky thing,” said he, “that they did not tear up the tree on which I was sitting, or I should have had to spring on to another like a squirrel; but we tailors are nimble.”

He drew his sword and stabbed each giant twice in the chest. Then heout his sword and gave each of them a couple of thrusts in the breast, and then went out to the horsemen and said, “The work is done!done; I have given both of them their finishing stroke, but it was hard work! They tore up trees in desperation and defended themselves with them. But none of that is any use against a man like me,their sore need, and defended themselves with them, but all that is to no purpose when a man like myself comes, who can kill seven at one blow.” “But are you not wounded?” asked the horsemen. “You need not worry about that,” answered the tailor.concern yourself about that,” answered the tailor, “They have not bent one hair of mine.”

The horsemen would not believe him and rode into the forest. There they found the dead giants, stained with blood, with the torn-up trees lying all around.him, and rode into the forest; there they found the giants swimming in their blood, and all round about lay the torn-up trees.Explanation: The giants are still dead and blood remains visible. The graphic image of their bodies swimming in blood is softened for children in the modernized version.

The little tailor demanded the promised reward from the King. But the King regretted his promise and once again thought about how toof the King the promised reward; he, however, repented of his promise, and again bethought himself how he could get rid of the hero. “Before you marry my daughter and receive halfthou receivest my daughter, and the half of my kingdom,” he said,said he to him, “youthou must perform one more heroic deed. A unicorn roams the forest andIn the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm, and youthou must catch it first.” “I fear one unicorn still less than two giants. Seven at one blow—that is my kind of thing.blow, is my kind of affair.”

He took a rope and an axe with him, went intoforth into the forest, and again toldbade those who were sent with him to wait outside.

He had to search for a long timeseek long.

The unicorn soon came towards him. It rushed straight at the tailor as if to spear him with its horn without a moment’s delay.him, and rushed directly on the tailor, as if it would spit him on his horn without more ceremony. “Softly, softly! It can’t be done as quickly as that,” he said. He stood still, waited until the animal was quite close,softly; it can’t be done as quickly as that,” said he, and stood still and waited until the animal was quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the tree.

The unicorn crashed into the tree with all its strength. Its horn stuck so firmly in the trunk that it could not pull it out. Itran against the tree with all its strength, and struck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not strength enough to draw it out again, and thus it was caught. “Now, I have got the bird,” said the tailor. He, and came out from behind the tree and put the rope round its neck. Then he chopped the horn free of the tree with his axe. When all was ready,, and then with his axe he hewed the horn out of the tree, and when all was ready he led the beast away and took it to the King.

The King still would not give him the promised reward, and made a third demand. Before the wedding the tailor was to catch him a wild boar that causedmade great havoc in the forest, and the huntsmen were to help himshould give him their help. “Willingly,” said the tailor, “that is child’s play!”

He did not take the huntsmen into the forest with him. They were very pleased: the boar had attacked them fiercely several times before, and they had no wish to wait in ambush for it.with him into the forest, and they were well pleased that he did not, for the wild boar had several times received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to lie in wait for him.

When the boar saw the tailor, it charged at him with a foaming mouth and sharp tusks, about to knock him down. But the nimble hero sprang into a nearby chapel, straight up to the window and out again in one leap.perceived the tailor, it ran on him with foaming mouth and whetted tusks, and was about to throw him to the ground, but the active hero sprang into a chapel which was near, and up to the window at once, and in one bound out again.

The boar ran in after him. But the tailor ran round outside and shut the door behind it. The raging beast was far too heavy and awkward to leap out of the window, so ithim, but the tailor ran round outside and shut the door behind it, and then the raging beast, which was much too heavy and awkward to leap out of the window, was caught.

The little tailor called the huntsmen over so they couldthither that they might see the prisoner with their own eyes.

The hero, however, went to the King. Now, whether he liked it or not, the King had to keep his promise. He gave the tailor his daughter in marriage and halfhowever went to the King, who was now, whether he liked it or not, obliged to keep his promise, and gave him his daughter and the half of his kingdom. Had he known that the man before him was no great warrior, but a little tailorit was no warlike hero, but a little tailor who was standing before him, it would have pained him even moregone to his heart still more than it did.

The wedding was held with great magnificence and small joy, and a tailor became a kingout of a tailor a king was made.

After some time the young Queen heard her husband say in his dreams at night, “Boy, make me the short, fitted jacket anddoublet, and patch the trouserspantaloons, or else I will hit you over the ears with the yardstickrap the yard-measure over thine ears.”

Then she discovered what kind of family the young lord had been born into. The next morning she told her father she had been wronged. She begged him to help herin what state of life the young lord had been born, and next morning complained of her wrongs to her father, and begged him to help her to get rid of her husband, who was nothing else but a tailor.

The King comforted her and said, “Leave your bedroom door open tonight. My servants will wait outside. When he is asleep, they will go in, tie him up and put him aboard a ship to take him far awaythy bed-room door open this night, and my servants shall stand outside, and when he has fallen asleep shall go in, bind him, and take him on board a ship which shall carry him into the wide world.” The woman was satisfied with this. But the King’s armour-bearer, the attendant who carried his armour, had heard everything. He was friendly with the young lord and told himthis; but the King’s armour-bearer, who had heard all, was friendly with the young lord, and informed him of the whole plot. “I'll put a stop to that planI’ll put a screw into that business,” said the little tailor.

At night he went to bed with his wife at the usual time. When she thought he had fallen asleep, she got up, opened the door andtime, and when she thought that he had fallen asleep, she got up, opened the door, and then lay down again.

The little tailor, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to cry out in a clear voice, “Boy, make me the jacket and patchthe doublet and patch me the trouserspantaloons, or I will hit you over the ears with the yardstickrap the yard-measure over thine ears. I struck down seven withsmote seven at one blow. I killed two giants, brought away a unicorn and caught a wild boar. Am I to fear those standing outside the room?I brought away one unicorn and caught a wild boar, and am I to fear those who are standing outside the room.”

When the men heard the tailor speak like this, they were overcome with dread. They ran as if the wild huntsman were behind them. None dared try anything elsethese men heard the tailor speaking thus, they were overcome by a great dread, and ran as if the wild huntsman were behind them, and none of them would venture anything further against him.

So the little tailor was a king and remained oneone, to the end of his life.