The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

The Valiant Little Tailor

One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his tableby the window, he was in good spirits, and sewed with all hismight. Then came a peasant woman down the street crying, goodjams, cheap. Good jams, cheap. This rang pleasantly in thetailor's ears, he stretched his delicate head out of thewindow, and called, come up here, dear woman, here you will getrid of your goods. The woman came up the three steps to thetailor with her heavy basket, and he made her unpack all the potsfor him. He inspected each one, lifted it up, put his nose to it,and at length said, the jam seems to me to be good, so weigh meout four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of a poundthat is of no consequence. The woman who had hoped to find agood sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angryand grumbling. Now, this jam shall be blessed by God, cried thelittle tailor, and give me health and strength. So he broughtthe bread out of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right acrossthe 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 biggerand bigger stitches. In the meantime the smell of the sweet jamrose to where the flies were sitting in great numbers, and theywere attracted and descended on it in hosts. HI, who invited you,said the little tailor, and drove the unbidden guests away. Theflies, however, who understood no german, would not be turnedaway, but came back again in ever-increasing companies. Thelittle tailor at last lost all patience,and drew a piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table, andsaying, wait, and I will give it to you, struck it mercilesslyon them. When he drew it away and counted, there lay before himno fewer than seven, dead and with legs stretched out. Are you afellow of that sort, said he, and could not help admiring his ownbravery. The whole town shall know of this. And the little tailorhastened to cut himself a girdle, stitched it, and embroidered onit in large letters, seven at one stroke. What, the town, hecontinued, the whole world shall hear of it. And his heartwagged with joy like a lamb's tail. The tailor put on the girdle,and resolved to go forth into the world, because he thought hisworkshop was too small for his valor. Before he went away, hesought about in the house to see if there was anything which hecould 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 abird which had caught itself in the thicket. It had to go into hispocket with the cheese. Now he took to the road boldly, and as hewas light and nimble, he felt no fatigue. The road led him up amountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, theresat a powerful giant looking peacefully about him. The littletailor went bravely up, spoke to him, and said, good day, comrade,so you are sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world. I amjust on my way thither, and want to try my luck. Have you anyinclination to go with me. The giant looked contemptuously at thetailor, and said, you ragamuffin. You miserable creature.Oh, indeed, answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat,and showed the giant the girdle, there may you read what kind ofa man I am. The giant read, seven at one stroke. And thoughtthat they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began tofeel a little respect for the tiny fellow. Nevertheless, hewished to try him first, and took a stone in his hand andsqueezed it together so that water dropped out of it. Do thatlikewise, said the giant, if you have strength. Is that all, saidthe tailor, that is child's play with us, and put his hand into hispocket, brought out the soft cheese, and pressed it until theliquid ran outof it. Faith, said he, that was a little better, wasn't it. Thegiant did not know what to say, and could not believe it of thelittle man. Then the giant picked up a stone and threw it so highthat the eye could scarcely follow it. Now, little mite of a man,do that likewise. Well thrown, said the tailor, but after all thestone came down to earth again, I will throw you one which shallnever 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 comeback. How does that shot please you, comrade, asked the tailor.You can certainly throw, said the giant, but now we will see ifyou are able to carry anything properly. He took the littletailor to a mighty oak tree which lay there felled on the ground,and said, if you are strong enough, help me to carry the tree outof the forest. Readily, answered the little man, take the trunkon your shoulders, and I will raise up the branches and twigs,after all, they are the heaviest. The giant took the trunk onhis shoulder, but the tailor seated himself on a branch, and thegiant who could not look round, had to carry away the whole tree,and the little tailor into the bargain, he behind, was quitemerry and happy, and whistled the song, three tailors rode forthfrom the gate, as if carrying the tree were child's play. Thegiant, after he had dragged the heavy burden part of the way,could go no further, and cried, hark you, I shall have to let thetree fall. The tailor sprang nimbly down, seized the tree withboth arms as if he had been carrying it, and said to the giant,you are such a great fellow, and yet can not even carry the tree.They went on together, and as they passed a cherry-tree, the giantlaid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit washanging, bent it down, gave it into the tailor's hand, and badehim eat. But the little tailor was much too weak to hold thetree, and when the giant let it go, it sprang back again, and thetailor was tossed into the air with it. When he had fallen downagain without injury, the giant said, what is this. Have younot strength enough to hold the weak twig. There is no lack ofstrength, answered the little tailor. Do you think that could beanything to a man who hasstruck down seven at one blow. I leapt over the tree because thehuntsmen are shooting down there in the thicket. Jump as I did,if you can do it. The giant made the attempt, but could not getover the tree, and remained hanging in the branches, so that inthis also the tailor kept the upper hand.The giant said, if you are such a valiant fellow, come with meinto our cavern and spend the night with us. The little tailorwas willing, and followed him. When they went into the cave,other giants were sitting there by the fire, and each of themhad a roasted sheep in his hand and was eating it. The littletailor looked round and thought, it is much more spacious herethan in my workshop. The giant showed him a bed, and said he wasto lie down in it and sleep. The bed, however, was too big forthe little tailor, he did not lie down in it, but crept into acorner. When it was midnight, and the giant thought that thelittle tailor was lying in a sound sleep, he got up, took a greatiron bar, cut through the bed with one blow, and thought he hadfinished off the grasshopper for good. With the earliest dawnthe giants went into the forest, and had quite forgotten the littletailor, when all at once he walked up to them quite merrilyand boldly. The giants were terrified, they were afraid that hewould strike them all dead, and ran away in a great hurry.The little tailor went onwards, always following his ownpointed nose. After he had walked for a long time, he came to thecourtyard of a royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay downon the grass and fell asleep. Whilst he lay there, the peoplecame and inspected him on all sides, and read on his girdle,seven at one stroke. Ah, said they, what does the great warriorhere in the midst of peace. He must be a mighty lord. They wentand announced him to the king, and gave it as their opinion thatif war should break out, this would be a weighty and useful manwho ought on no account to be allowed to depart. The counselpleased the king, and he sent one of his courtiers to the littletailor to offer him military service when he awoke. Theambassador remained standing by the sleeper, waited until hestretched his limbs andopened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal. For thisreason have I come here, the tailor replied, I am ready to enterthe king's service. He was therefore honorably received and aspecial dwelling was assigned him.The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, andwished him a thousand miles away. What is to be the end of this,they said among themselves. If we quarrel with him, and he strikesabout him, seven of us will fall at every blow, not one ofus can stand against him. They came therefore to a decision,betook themselves in a body to the king, and begged for theirdismissal. We are not prepared, said they, to stay with a manwho kills seven at one stroke. The king was sorry that for thesake of one he should lose all his faithful servants, wished thathe had never set eyes on the tailor, and would willingly havebeen rid of him again. But he did not venture to give him hisdismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all hispeople dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He thoughtabout it for a long time, and at last found good counsel. Hesent to the little tailor and caused him to be informed that ashe was such a great warrior, he had one request to make of him.In a forest of his country lived two giants who caused greatmischief with their robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning,and no one could approach them without putting himself in dangerof death. If the tailor conquered and killed these two giants,he would give him his only daughter to wife, and half of hiskingdom as a dowry, likewise one hundred horsemen should go withhim to assist him. That would indeed be a fine thing for a manlike me, thought the little tailor. One is not offered abeautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one's life.Oh, yes, he replied, I will soon subdue the giants, and do notrequire the help of the hundred horsemen to do it, he who canhit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two.The little tailor went forth, and the hundred horsemen followedhim. When he came to the outskirts of the forest, he said tohis followers, just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finishoff the giants. Then he bounded into the forest and looked aboutright and left. After a while he perceived both giants. They laysleeping under a tree, and snored so that the branches waved upand down. The little tailor, not idle, gathered two pocketsfulof stones, and with these climbed up the tree. When he washalf-way up, he slipped down by a branch, until he sat just abovethe sleepers, and then let one stone after another fall on thebreast of one of the giants. For a long time the giant feltnothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and said, whyare you knocking me. You must be dreaming, said the other, I amnot knocking you. They laid themselves down to sleep again, andthen the tailor threw a stone down on the second. What is themeaning of this, cried the other. Why are you pelting me. I amnot pelting you, answered the first, growling. They disputedabout it for a time, but as they were weary they let the matterrest, and their eyes closed once more. The little tailor beganhis game again, picked out the biggest stone, and threw it withall his might on the breast of the first giant. That is toobad, cried he, and sprang up like a madman, and pushed hiscompanion against the tree until it shook. The other paid himback in the same coin, and they got into such a rage that theytore up trees and belabored each other so long, that at last theyboth fell down dead on the ground at the same time. Then thelittle tailor leapt down. It is a lucky thing, said he, thatthey did not tear up the tree on which I was sitting, or I shouldhave had to spring on to another like a squirrel, but we tailorsare nimble. He drew out his sword and gave each of them a coupleof thrusts in the breast, and then went out to the horsemen andsaid, the work is done, I have finished both of them off, but itwas hard work. They tore up trees in their sore need, anddefended themselves with them, but all that is to no purposewhen a man like myself comes, who can kill seven at one blow.But you are not wounded, asked the horsemen. You need notconcern yourself about that, answered the tailor, they have notbent one hair of mine. The horsemen would not believe him, androde into the forest, there they found the giants swimming in theirblood, 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 howhe could get rid of the hero. Before you receive my daughter,and the half of my kingdom, said he to him, you must perform onemore heroic deed. In the forest roams a unicorn which does greatharm, and you must catch it first. I fear one unicorn stillless 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. Hehad not long to seek. The unicorn soon came towards him, andrushed directly on the tailor, as if it would gore him with itshorn without more ado. Softly, softly, it can't be done asquickly as that, said he, and stood still and waited until theanimal was quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the tree.The unicorn ran against the tree with all its strength, andstruck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not strengthenough to draw it out again, and thus it was caught. Now, I havegot the bird, said the tailor, and came out from behind the treeand put the rope round its neck, and then with his axe he hewedthe horn out of the tree, and when all was ready he led the beastaway and took it to the king.The king still would not give him the promised reward, and madea third demand. Before the wedding the tailor was to catch him awild boar that made great havoc in the forest, and the huntsmenshould give him their help. Willingly, said the tailor, that ischild's play. He did not take the huntsmen with him into theforest, and they were well pleased that he did not, for the wildboar had several times received them in such a manner that theyhad no inclination to lie in wait for him. When the boarperceived the tailor, it ran on him with foaming mouth andwhetted tusks, and was about to throw him to the ground, but thehero fled and sprang into a chapel which was near, and up to thewindow at once, and in one bound out again. The boar ran inafter him, but the tailor ran round outside and shut the doorbehind it, and then the raging beast, which was much too heavyand awkward to leap out of the window, was caught. The littletailor called the huntsmen thitherthat they might see the prisoner with their own eyes. The hero,however went to the king, who was now, whether he liked it ornot, obliged to keep his promise, and gave him his daughter andthe half of his kingdom. Had he known that it was no warlikehero, but a little tailor who was standing before him it wouldhave gone to his heart still more than it did. The wedding washeld with great magnificence and small joy, and out of atailor a king was made.After some time the young queen heard her husband say in hisdreams at night, boy, make me the doublet, and patch thepantaloons, or else I will rap the yard-measure over your ears.Then she discovered in what state of life the young lord had beenborn, and next morning complained of her wrongs to her father, andbegged him to help her to get rid of her husband, who wasnothing else but a tailor. The king comforted her and said,leave your bedroom door open this night, and my servants shallstand outside, and when he has fallen asleep shall go in, bindhim, and take him on board a ship which shall carry him into thewide world. The woman was satisfied with this, but the king'sarmor-bearer, who had heard all, was friendly with the younglord, and informed him of the whole plot. I'll put a screw intothat business, said the little tailor. At night he went to bedwith his wife at the usual time, and when she thought that hehad fallen asleep, she got up, opened the door, and then lay downagain. The little tailor, who was only pretending to be asleep,began to cry out in a clear voice, boy, make me the doublet andpatch me the pantaloons, or I will rap the yard-measure overyour ears. I smote seven at one blow. I killed two giants, Ibrought away one unicorn and caught a wild boar, and am I tofear those who are standing outside the room. When these menheard the tailor speaking thus, they were overcome by a greatdread, and ran as if the wild huntsman were behind them, and noneof them would venture anything further against him. So the littletailor was and remained a king to the end of his life.