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German Tales |
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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 getm rid of your goods. The
woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy
basket, and he made her unpack all the pots for 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 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, this jam shall be blessed by God, 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 rose to where the flies were sitting in great numbers,
and they were attracted and descended on it in hosts. HI, 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 drew a piece 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. Are you 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 valor. 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
peacefully about him. The little tailor went bravely up, spoke
to him, and said, good day, comrade, so you are sitting there
overlooking the wide-spread world. I am just on my way thither,
and want to try my luck. Have you any inclination to go with me.
The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, 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 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 you have 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.
You can certainly throw, said the giant, but now we will see if
you are 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 you are strong enough, help me to carry the
tree out of the forest. Readily, answered the little man, take the trunk
on your 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, 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 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 tossed into the air with
it. When he had fallen down again without injury, the giant
said, what is this. Have you not strength enough to hold the
weak twig. There is no lack of strength, answered the little
tailor. Do you 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 can 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 you
are 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 finished off the grasshopper for good. 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 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 among 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 of 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
are you knocking me. You must be dreaming, said the other, I am
not knocking you. 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 are you pelting me. I am
not pelting you, 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 finished both of
them off, 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 you are 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 you receive my
daughter, and the half of my kingdom, said he to him, you must
perform one more heroic deed. In the forest roams a unicorn
which does great harm, and you 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 not long to seek. The unicorn soon came
towards him, and rushed directly on the tailor, as if it would gore him with its
horn without more ado. 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
hero fled and 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 your 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 your bedroom 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 armor-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 your 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 and remained a king to the end of his life. |
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