Once upon a time, a little cobbler sat at his bench mending a pair of
shoes. He whistled a merry tune as he worked.
The day was very warm, and the wax which he had been using began to
melt. In less time than it takes to tell it, a swarm, of flies lighted
upon the melting wax.
"Ho, ho!" exclaimed the little cobbler. "Who invited you to a feast?"
He threw the shoe that he was mending, at the flies, and many fell dead
from the blow. The cobbler counted the flies as they lay dead, and he
said, "Not so bad! That blow should make me famous."
Then the cobbler took a girdle and painted this rhyme upon it:
Ha, ha! Ho, ho!
Ten at one blow.
"Now I shall travel around the world wearing this girdle, and it will
make me famous," said the cobbler.
So the queer little man put on the girdle and started out to seek his
fortune.
As he was entering a forest, he saw a bear walking along a narrow path.
The cobbler was frightened. There was no way of escape. He waited to see
what would happen.
The bear growled and ran toward him. The cobbler stood with his girdle
in sight.
The bear read the words on the girdle:
Ha, ha! Ho, ho!
Ten at one blow.
"Is it possible that this little man can kill TEN BEARS at one blow?"
thought the bear, "I will be careful not to offend him."