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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Brave Little Tailor
One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting
on his table by the window; he was in good spirits, and
sewed with all his might. Then came a peasant woman down
the street crying, "Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!"
This rang pleasantly in the tailor's ears; he stretched
his delicate head out of the window, and called, "Come
up here, dear woman; here 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 the whole of the pots
for him. He inspected all of them, lifted them up, put his
nose to them, and at length said, "The jam seems 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."
The woman who had hoped to find a good sale, gave him what
he desired, but went away quite angry and grumbling. "Now,
God bless the jam to my use," cried the little tailor,
"and give me health and strength;" 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," said he, "but I will just finish
the jacket before I take a bite." He laid the bread
near him, sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger
stitches. In the meantime the smell of the 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, and drove
the unbidden guests away. The flies, however, who understood
no German, would not be turned away, but came back again
in ever-increasing companies. 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 drew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer
than seven, dead and with legs stretched out. "Art
thou a fellow of that sort?" said he, and could not
help admiring his own bravery. "The whole town shall
know of this!" And 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!" and his heart wagged with joy like a lamb's
tail. The tailor put on the girdle, and resolved to go forth
into the world, because he thought his workshop was too
small for his valour. Before he 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 observed
a bird which had caught itself in the thicket. It had to
go into his pocket with the cheese. Now he took to the road
boldly, and as he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue.
The road led him up a mountain, and when he had reached
the highest point of it, there sat a powerful giant looking
about him quite comfortably. The little tailor went bravely
up, spoke to him, and said, "Good day, comrade, so
thou 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, "Thou ragamuffin!
Thou miserable creature!"
"Oh, indeed?" answered the little tailor, 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 that
they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began
to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow. 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 that likewise," said the giant, "if thou
hast strength?" "Is that all?" said the 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 it
of the little man. Then the giant picked up a stone and
threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it.
"Now, little mite of a man, do that likewise."
"Well thrown," said the tailor, "but after
all the stone came down to earth again; I will throw you
one which shall never come back at all." And he put
his hand into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it
into the air. The bird, delighted with its liberty, rose,
flew away and did not come back. "How does that shot
please you, comrade?" asked the tailor. "Thou
canst certainly throw," said the giant, "but now
we will see if thou art able to carry anything properly."
He took the little tailor to a mighty oak tree which lay
there felled on the ground, and said, "If thou art
strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of the forest."
"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
seated 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. The giant, after he had dragged the heavy burden part
of the way, could go no further, and cried, "Hark 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, "Thou art
such a great fellow, and yet canst not even carry the tree!"
They went on together, 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, and when the giant let it go, it
sprang back again, and the tailor was hurried into the air
with it. When he had fallen down again without injury, the
giant said, "What is this? Hast thou not strength enough
to hold the weak twig?" "There is no lack of strength,"
answered the little tailor. "Dost 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 thou canst
do it." The giant made 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 thou 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
went 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.
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. 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,
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 he 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. Whilst he lay
there, the people came and inspected him on all sides, and
read on his girdle, "Seven at one stroke." "Ah,"
said they, "What does the great warrior here in the
midst of peace? He must be a mighty lord." They went
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 counsel pleased the King, and he sent one of his courtiers
to the little tailor to offer him military service when
he awoke. The ambassador remained standing by the sleeper,
waited until he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes,
and then conveyed to him this proposal. "For this very
reason have I come here," the tailor replied, "I
am ready to enter the King's service." He was therefore
honorably received and a special dwelling was assigned him.
The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor,
and wished him a thousand miles away. "What is to be
the end of this?" they said amongst 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." 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
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 venture 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 found good counsel. He sent to 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. In 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 would 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 subdue
the giants, and do not require 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 went 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 perceived both giants. They lay sleeping under
a tree, and snored so that the branches waved up and down.
The little tailor, not idle, gathered two pocketsful of
stones, and with these climbed up the tree. 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 art thou knocking me?"
"Thou must be dreaming," said the other, "I
am not knocking thee." They 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 art thou pelting me?" "I am not
pelting thee," answered the first, growling. They disputed
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 on the breast of the first
giant. "That is too bad!" cried 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,
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
out 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; I have given both of them their
finishing stroke, but it was hard work! They tore up trees
in 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
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 giants swimming in their blood, and all round
about lay the torn-up trees.
The little tailor demanded of the King the promised reward;
he, however, repented of his promise, and again bethought
himself how he could get rid of the hero. "Before thou
receivest my daughter, and the half of my kingdom,"
said he to him, "thou must perform one more heroic
deed. In the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm,
and thou must catch it first." "I fear one unicorn
still less than two giants. Seven at one blow, is my kind
of affair." He took a rope and an axe with him, went
forth into the forest, and again bade those who were sent
with him to wait outside. He had to seek long. The unicorn
soon came towards 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,"
said he, and stood still and waited until the animal was
quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the tree. The
unicorn ran 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, and came out
from behind the tree and put the rope round its neck, 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 made great havoc in the forest,
and the huntsmen should give him their help. "Willingly,"
said the tailor, "that is child's play!" He did
not take the huntsmen 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 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, 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 thither that
they might see the prisoner with their own eyes. The hero,
however 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
it was no warlike hero, but a little tailor who was standing
before him, it would have gone to his heart still more than
it did. The wedding was held with great magnificence and
small joy, and out 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 doublet, and
patch the pantaloons, or else I will rap the yard-measure
over thine ears." Then she discovered in 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 thy 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, who had heard all, was friendly
with the young lord, and informed him of the whole plot.
"I'll put a screw into that business," said the
little tailor. At night he went to bed with his wife at
the usual time, 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
doublet and patch me the pantaloons, or I will rap the yard-measure
over thine ears. I smote seven at one blow. I killed two
giants, I brought away one unicorn and caught a wild boar,
and am I to fear those who are standing outside the room."
When these 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 one, to the end of his life.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:85-93. |
