Chapter 11 The Brave Little Tailor One summer day, a tailor was sewing by his window.
He had just bought some delicious jam the day before and was about to enjoy a snack.
I hope this jam gives me strength and energy, the tailor said.
He spread some on a piece of bread.
I bet it's delicious, but I will not take a bite until I finish my work on this jacket.
The tailor put the piece of bread and jam down beside him.
Sitting back down by his window, he picked up a needle and thread.
Flies buzzed all around the bread and jam.
He shooed them away.
You're not invited to this party, he said to the flies.
The bugs didn't listen, of course.
Soon they were buzzing all around him.
The tailor leaped out of his seat and grabbed a rag.
He snapped it at the swarm, killing seven flies in one blow.
Now that's something, he said.
He finally sat down to eat his bread and jam.
He was so proud of himself.
To celebrate, he cut the leather for a new belt and embroidered a phrase on it.
Seven in one blow.
The tailor put the belt around his waist and decided to go out into the world to try his luck.
He grabbed a piece of old cheese and put it in his pocket.
Then he closed up his shop and left.
Passing through the city gates, he noticed a bird tangled in a briar bush.
He put that into his pocket, too.
He felt brave wearing his new belt and having killed those seven flies.
He walked for a long time without getting tired.
The road led out of town into a mountain.
He climbed the mountain to the top.
There he found a great big giant bird.
But the tailor wasn't afraid.
He walked right up to the giant and said, Greetings, my friend.
How do you like the view?
I'm headed into the world to try my luck.
Do you want to come with me?
The giant looked down at the little man.
Why would I want to go with a small fellow like you, he asked.
The tailor laughed and unbuttoned his jacket.
See for yourself what a great man I am.
He showed the giant his belt.
The giant read the belt.
Seven in one blow, he exclaimed.
He thought that meant the tailor had killed seven men.
If you're so strong, he said, can you do this?
The giant picked up a rock and squeezed it so tight that water came running out of it.
Is that all? the tailor replied, laughing.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the wedge of cheese.
He squeezed it until all its way came running out.
Not bad, eh? he boasted.
The giant could hardly believe his eyes.
What about this? he said.
The giant picked up another rock and threw it very far.
In fact, he tossed it so far that neither of them could see it any more.
Not bad, not bad, the tailor said, but watch this.
What I throw up into the air will not land anywhere.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bird.
It was so happy to be free that it flew high up into the sky.
Just as the tailor claimed, it didn't fall to the earth.
How's that for a trick, the tailor said to the giant.
I will admit that you have a good arm for throwing.
The giant said but let's see how you can carry things.
The giant walked the tailor down the other side of the mountain.
They came to a great forest.
The giant stopped in front of a fallen oak tree.
If you're so strong, he said, you can help me carry this out of the forest.
I'm at your service, the tailor said.
Pointing to the heavy trunk, he added, Why don't you carry that end?
I'll handle all the leaves and branches.
When the giant lifted up the trunk, the tailor hopped onto a branch and rode along.
He didn't carry even a leaf.
The giant couldn't see behind him and didn't know he was carrying the tree all by himself.
The tailor was having so much fun, he started to sing.
He wanted the giant to believe that lifting the top of the tree was not at all difficult for him.
They journeyed a bit farther.
Then the giant said, let's stop for a second so I can rest.
The tailor quickly hopped off his perch.
He ran behind the tree and lifted up the leaves and branches.
It looked as if he had been carrying the tree all along.
The tailor joked, a big giant like you needing a rest.
The giant grumbled, I think we are done with this tree for now.
They left the tree behind and walked on down the road.
There was a large cherry tree with beautiful fruit.
The giant brought the top branches down so the tailor could grab some.
At the very moment the tailor grabbed hold of the fruit, the giant laughed and let go of the tree.
The tailor went flying through the air.
He rolled when he hit the ground so he wouldn't get hurt.
The giant joked, what, a big strong tailor like you, not even able to hold down a cherry branch.
I wanted to jump over that tree, he said, challenging the giant.
He continued, a large fellow like yourself shouldn't have any trouble jumping over a tree.
The giant tried to jump over the tree, but he kept getting stuck in the highest branches.
Frustrated, he said to the tailor if you're so brave and strong, why don't you try to spend the night in our cave?
Sounds like fun, said the tailor.
When they got to the cave, all the giants were eating their dinner.
The tailor looked around and said to himself why there's so much more room here than in my workshop.
You must be tired after all the feats you tackled today, the giant said.
I'll show you where you can rest your head.
The giant brought the tailor to a huge bed.
"'I'm sure you'll be comfortable here,' he said.
"'Good night.'
The tailor curled up in one small corner and fell asleep.
The giant pretended to go to bed, but he stayed awake till midnight.
He kept thinking about how much better the tailor was at all of the things they did that day.
The giant grew angry.
I'll teach him a lesson about who's stronger and more powerful.
The giant got up and crept over to the tailor's bed.
And with a giant iron bar, he swiftly broke the bed in two.
There, he said, that should take care of that pesky little fellow for good.
The next morning, the giants woke up and headed out to the forest.
The giant told his friends how he had smashed the little tailor's bed the night before.
They had soon forgotten about the tailor.
Imagine how surprised they were to see him happily skipping along beside the group.
One of them shouted, it's a trick.
Another one said, he must be a ghost.
He's come to punish us.
They all screamed at once.
The big giants were so scared of the little tailor, they ran away deep into the forest.
The tailor laughed and hopped back onto the road, pleased with himself.
I am so lucky and so brave, he said.
After a while, he came to a royal courtyard.
The grass was green and soft.
The tailor decided to lie down and take a nap.
A group of people walked beside him while he was sleeping.
They stopped to read what it said on his belt.
One said aloud, Seven in one blow.
Another one said, What would such a powerful fighter be doing in our peaceful kingdom?
We need to see the king right away, they all agreed.
The king sent his deputy to fetch the tailor.
The deputy found him and waited patiently until the tailor woke up.
The king wishes for you, great warrior, to join the royal army.
You will be paid well and you will have a grand place to stay.
That's exactly why I've come, said the tailor sleepily.
I have come to serve the king.
The deputy brought him back to the palace and showed him to his rooms.
The tailor thought to himself, why, this is much better than my workshop.
As the days passed, the king's other soldiers grew more and more afraid of the little tailor.
What if he turns on us, one of them said, and strikes seven of us down at a time?
We will never survive.
They told the king that they could no longer be in the same army with such a powerful man.
The king did not want to lose his army, but he also didn't want to make the tailor angry.
What if he turned on the king?
He would strike him down, too.
He would take his kingdom.
The next morning, the king called for the tailor.
There are two giants living in my forest, and they are creating many problems.
They seal and set fires.
My subjects are afraid of them.
If you can defeat them, you may marry my daughter.
I'll give you half the land in my kingdom.
At your service, your highness, the tailor said.
At the same time, he was thinking, a prince is to marry and half the kingdom.
Now that's lucky.
The king said, I'll send you into the forest with 100 knights.
The tailor replied, a man who can manage seven in one blow has little to fear from two giants.
I'm sure I will not even need 100 knights to join me.
The king insisted the tailor set off with the knights anyway.
When they reached the edge of the forest, the tailor said to them, You all can wait here.
I can manage this by myself.
The tailor ran as fast as he could into the forest, searching for the giants.
At last, he found them snoring under a tree.
The tailor gathered many stones and filled up his pockets.
Then he climbed the tree.
When he was halfway up, he crawled out on a branch.
He was now directly above the slumbering giant.
He dropped a stone onto the chest of one, then he dropped another.
After a while, that giant woke up.
He noticed all the stones on his chest.
The giant shook his friend awake.
Why do you keep throwing stones at me? he asked.
You're dreaming.
The other giant said, I haven't thrown anything.
I've been sleeping, just like you.
The tailor waited.
Both giants went back to sleep.
Then he dropped rocks onto the chest of the other giant.
That giant woke up and yelled, what are you doing?
Why are you now throwing rocks at me?
I'm not throwing anything.
You started throwing things, said the first giant.
The two giants started fighting.
They punched, kicked, scratched, and brawled with each other.
Soon they knocked themselves out.
That's when the tailor shouted for the knights to come.
They found the tailor standing next to the fallen giants.
Hurry and tie them up before they wake up. the tailor said.
Then drag them out of the forest and into the king's jail.
They will not cause any more trouble now.
Aren't you even hurt?
One of the knights asked the tailor.
Not a scratch, he replied.
They're only two giants.
It's not as if I took seven in one blow this time.
The tailor marched back to the king and asked for his promised reward.
The king was sorry he'd ever made his promise.
He never thought the tailor would be able to get rid of two giants at once.
Before you may marry my daughter and have half my kingdom, the king said you will have to do one more thing for me.
You will have to catch a wild boar.
The tailor said, this will not be a problem.
After slaying seven and capturing the giants, catching a boar seems easy enough.
The king sent the tailor out with his royal hunters.
When they reached the edge of the forest, the tailor said, you men can wait here.
I'll call out if I need your help.
The royal hunters were happy to be left behind.
They had already faced the wild boar a few times.
They didn't want to fight it again.
The tailor raced through the woods until he found the boar.
It bared its teeth, growled, and ran toward the tailor.
The brave little tailor, thinking quickly, jumped into a nearby cabin.
The boar followed him inside.
The tailor locked the cabin door, leaped out the window, and shut it behind him.
The boar was trapped.
The tailor laughed and called out to the hunters.
They quickly arrived on the scene and saw that he had captured the animal.
Back at the palace, the tailor stood before the king again.
He said, I'm ready for my wedding.
The king had no choice.
He had to keep his promise.
The brave little tailor had rid his kingdom of two giants in the wild boar.
The tailor married and became a king.
He received half of the kingdom as his own.
The new king and queen spent many happy days in their kingdom.
One night, the queen heard her husband talking in his sleep.
Boy, he mumbled, finish up that jacket and hem those pants or else.
He's not a warrior, the queen thought.
She was shocked.
He's nothing but a lowly tailor, she realized.
In the morning, the queen went straight to her father and told him everything.
She didn't want to be married to a man who was just a tailor.
Of course, the king also didn't want the tailor around.
Here's what I'll do, the king told her.
Open your bedroom door tonight after he falls asleep.
I'll send some knights over to tie him up.
We will put him on a ship that's set to sail far away.
Thank you, father, the queen said.
After dinner, the tailor and his queen went upstairs to bed.
When she thought her husband was sleeping, she quietly got out of bed and opened the door.
One of the knights had overheard the king's plan that day and already told the tailor.
The queen didn't know he was only pretending to be asleep.
The queen got back into bed, waiting for the knights to come take her husband away.
As the knights arrived at the bedroom door, the tailor shouted boy, finish up that jacket and hem those pants, or else slain seven in one blow, struck down the giants and caught a wild boar.
Why would I be afraid of anyone standing outside my bedroom door?
There were only seven knights standing at the door.
They knew they couldn't tie up the mighty tailor.
Afraid for their lives, the seven knights ran away and never carried out the king's plan.
Brave, smart, and lucky little Taylor smiled to himself in bed.
From that moment, no one ever tried to outsmart him again.
He lived a long, happy life as king.
