A tailor sat in his workroom one morning, stitching away busily at a
coat for the Lord Mayor. He whistled and sang so gaily that all the
little boys who passed the shop on their way to school thought what a
fine thing it was to be a tailor, and told one another that when they
grew to be men they'd be tailors, too.
"How hungry I feel, to be sure!" cried the little man, at last; "but
I'm far too busy to trouble about eating. I must finish his lordship's
coat before I touch a morsel of food," and he broke once more into a
merry song.
"Fine new jam for sale," sang out an old woman, as she walked along
the street.
"Jam! I can't resist such a treat," said the tailor; and, running to
the door, he shouted, "This way for jam, dame; show me a pot of your
very finest."
The woman handed him jar after jar, but he found fault with all. At
last he hit upon some to his liking.
"And how many pounds will you take, sir?"
"I'll take four ounces," he replied, in a solemn tone, "and mind you
give me good weight."
The old woman was very angry, for she had expected to sell several
pounds, at least; and she went off grumbling, after she had weighed
out the four ounces.
"Now for a feed!" cried the little man, taking a loaf from the
cupboard as he spoke. He cut off a huge slice, and spread the jam on
quite half an inch thick; then he suddenly remembered his work.
"It will never do to get jam on the Lord Mayor's coat, so I'll finish
it off before I take even one bite," said he. So he picked up his work
once more, and his needle flew in and out like lightning.
I am afraid the Lord Mayor had some stitches in his garment that were
quite a quarter of an inch long.
The tailor glanced longingly at his slice of bread and jam once or
twice, but when he looked the third time it was quite covered with
flies, and a fine feast they were having off it.
This was too much for the little fellow. Up he jumped, crying:
"So you think I provide bread and jam for you, indeed! Well, we'll
very soon see! Take that!" and he struck the flies such a heavy blow
with a duster that no fewer than seven lay dead upon the table, while
the others flew up to the ceiling in great haste.
"Seven at one blow!" said the little man with great pride. "Such a
brave deed ought to be known all over the town, and it won't be my
fault if folks fail to hear of it."
So he cut out a wide belt, and stitched on it in big golden letters
the words "Seven at one blow." When this was done he fastened it round
him, crying:
"I'm cut out for something better than a tailor, it's quite clear. I'm
one of the world's great heroes, and I'll be off at once to seek my
fortune."
He glanced round the cottage, but there was nothing of value to take
with him. The only thing he possessed in the world was a small cheese.
"You may as well come, too," said he, stowing away the cheese in his
pocket, "and now I'm off."
When he got into the street the neighbors all crowded round him to
read the words on his belt.
"Seven at one blow!" said they to one another. "What a blessing he's
going; for it wouldn't be safe to have a man about us who could kill
seven of us at one stroke."
You see, they didn't know that the tailor had only killed flies; they
took it to mean men.
He jogged along for some miles until he came to a hedge, where a
little bird was caught in the branches.
"Come along," said the tailor; "I'll have you to keep my cheese
company"; so he caught the bird and put it carefully into his pocket
with the cheese.
Soon he reached a lofty mountain, and he made up his mind to climb it
and see what was going on at the other side. When he reached the top,
there stood a huge giant, gazing down into the valley below.
"Good day," said the tailor.
The giant turned round, and seeing nobody but the little tailor there,
he cried with scorn:
"And what might you be doing here, might I ask? You'd best be off at
once."
"Not so fast, my friend," said the little man; "read this."
"Seven at one blow," read the giant, and he began to wish he'd been
more civil.
"Well, I'm sure nobody would think it to look at you," he replied;
"but since you are so clever, do this," and he picked up a stone and
squeezed it until water ran out.
"Do that! Why, it's mere child's play to me," and the man took out
his cheese and squeezed it until the whey ran from it. "Now who is
cleverer?" asked the tailor. "You see, I can squeeze milk out, while
you only get water."
The giant was too surprised to utter a word for a few minutes; then,
taking up another stone, he threw it so high into the air that for
a moment they couldn't see where it went; then down it fell to the
ground again.
"Good!" said the tailor; "but I'll throw a stone that won't come back
again at all."
Taking the little bird from his pocket, he threw it into the air, and
the bird, glad to get away, flew right off and never returned.
This sort of thing didn't suit the giant at all, for he wasn't used to
being beaten by any one.
"Here's something that you'll never manage," said he to the little
man. "Just come and help me to carry this fallen oak-tree for a few
miles."
"Delighted!" said the tailor, "and I'll take the end with the
branches, for it's sure to be heavier."
"Agreed," replied the giant, and he lifted the heavy trunk on to his
shoulder, while the tailor climbed up among the branches at the
other end, and sang with all his might, as though carrying a tree was
nothing to him.
The poor giant, who was holding the tree-trunk and the little tailor
as well, soon grew tired.
"I'm going to let it fall!" he shouted, and the tailor jumped down
from the branches, and pretended he had been helping all the time.
"The idea of a man your size finding a tree too heavy to carry!"
laughed the little tailor.
"You are a clever little fellow, and no mistake," replied the giant,
"and if you'll only come and spend the night in our cave, we shall be
delighted to have you."
"I shall have great pleasure in coming, my friend," answered the
little tailor, and together they set off for the giant's home.
There were seven more giants in the cave, and each one of them was
eating a roasted pig for his supper. They gave the little man some
food, and then showed him a bed in which he might pass the night.
It was so big that, after tossing about for half an hour in it, the
tailor thought he would be more comfortable if he slept in the corner,
so he crept out without being noticed.
In the middle of the night the giant stole out of bed and went up to
the one where he thought the little man was fast asleep. Taking a big
bar of iron, he struck such a heavy blow at it that he woke up all the
other giants.
"Keep quiet, friends," said he. "I've just killed the little scamp."
The tailor made his escape as soon as possible, and he journeyed on
for many miles, until he began to feel very tired, so he lay down
under a tree, and was soon fast asleep. When he awoke, he found a big
crowd of people standing round him. Up walked one very wise-looking
old man, who was really the King's prime minister.
"Is it true that you have killed seven at one blow?" he asked
"It is a fact," answered the little tailor.
"Then come with me to the King, my friend, for he's been searching for
a brave man like you for some time past. You are to be made captain of
his army, and the King will give you a fine house to live in."
"That I will," replied the little man. "It is just the sort of thing
that will suit me, and I'll come at once."
He hadn't been in the King's service long before every one grew
jealous of him. The soldiers were afraid that, if they offended him,
he would make short work of them all, while the members of the King's
household didn't fancy the idea of making such a fuss over a stranger.
So the soldiers went in a body to the King and asked that another
captain should be put over them, for they were afraid of this one.
The King didn't like to refuse, for fear they should all desert, and
yet he didn't dare get rid of the captain, in case such a strong and
brave man should try to have his revenge.
At last the King hit upon a plan. In some woods close by there lived
two giants, who were the terror of the country side; they robbed all
the travelers, and if any resistance was offered they killed the men
on the spot.
Sending for the little tailor, he said:
"Knowing you to be the bravest man in my kingdom, I want to ask a
favor of you. If you will kill these two giants, and bring me back
proof that they are dead, you shall marry the Princess, my daughter,
and have half my kingdom. You shall also take one hundred men to help
you, and you are to set off at once."
"A hundred men, your Majesty! Pray, what do I want with a hundred men?
If I can kill seven at one blow, I needn't be afraid of two. I'll kill
them fast enough, never fear."
The tailor chose ten strong men, and told them to await him on the
border of the wood, while he went on quite alone. He could hear the
giants snoring for quite half an hour before he reached them, so he
knew in which direction to go.
He found the pair fast asleep under a tree, so he filled his pockets
with stones and climbed up into the branches over their heads. Then he
began to pelt one of the giants with the missiles, until after a few
minutes one of the men awoke. Giving the other a rough push, he cried:
"If you strike me like that again, I'll know the reason why."
"I didn't touch you," said the other giant crossly, and they were soon
fast asleep once more.
Then the tailor threw stones at the other man, and soon he awoke as
the first had done.
"What did you throw that at me for?" said he.
"You are dreaming," answered the other, "I didn't throw anything."
No sooner were they fast asleep again, than the little man began to
pelt them afresh.
Up they both sprang, and seizing each other, they began to fight in
real earnest. Not content with using their fists, they tore up huge
trees by the roots, and beat each other until very soon the pair lay
dead on the ground.
Down climbed the little tailor, and taking his sword in his hand he
plunged it into each giant, and then went back to the edge of the
forest where the ten men were waiting for him.
"They are as dead as two door nails," shouted the little man. "I don't
say that I had an easy task, for they tore up trees by their roots to
try to protect themselves with, but, of course, it was no good. What
were two giants to a man who has slain seven at one blow?"
But the men wouldn't believe it until they went into the forest and
saw the two dead bodies, lying each in a pool of blood, while the
ground was covered with uprooted trees.
Back they went to the King, but instead of handing over half his
kingdom, as he had promised, his Majesty told the little tailor that
there was still another brave deed for him to do before he got the
Princess for his bride.
"Just name it, then; I'm more than ready," was the man's reply.
"You are to kill the famous unicorn that is running wild in the forest
and doing so much damage. When this is done you shall have your reward
at once."
"No trouble at all, your Majesty. I'll get rid of him in a twinkling."
He made the ten men wait for him at the entrance to the wood as they
had done the first time, and taking a stout rope and a saw he entered
the forest alone.
Up came the unicorn, but just as it was about to rush at the man he
darted behind a big tree.
The unicorn dashed with such force against the tree that its horn was
caught quite fast and it was kept a prisoner.
Taking his rope, he tied it tightly round the animal, and, after
sawing off the horn, back he went to the palace, leading the unicorn
by his side.
But even then the King was not satisfied, and he made the little
tailor catch a wild boar that had been seen wandering in the woods.
He took a party of huntsmen with him, but again he made them wait on
the outskirts of the forest while he went on by himself.
The wild boar made a dash at the little tailor; but the man was too
quick for it. He slipped into a little building close by, with the
animal at his heels. Then, catching sight of a small window, he forced
his way out into the forest again, and while the boar, who was too
big and clumsy to follow, stood gazing at the spot where he had
disappeared, the tailor ran round and closed the door, keeping the
animal quite secure inside. Then he called the hunters, who shot the
boar and carried the body back to the palace.
This time the King was obliged to keep his promise; so the little
tailor became a Prince, and a grand wedding they had, too.
When they had been married for about a couple of years, the Princess
once overheard her husband talking in his sleep.
"Boy, if you have put a patch on that waistcoat, take the Lord Mayor's
coat home at once, or I'll box your ears," he said.
"Oh, dear," cried the Princess, "to think that I've married a common
tailor! Whatever can I do to get rid of him?"
So she told her father the story, and the King said she need not
worry, for he would find a way out of the difficulty. She was to
leave the door open that night, and while the tailor was sleeping, the
King's servants should steal into the room, bind the tailor, and take
him away to be killed.
The Princess promised to see that everything was in readiness, and she
tripped about all day with a very light heart.
She little knew that one of the tailor's servants had overheard their
cruel plot, and carried the news straight to his master.
That night, when the Princess thought her husband was sleeping fast,
she crept to the door and opened it.
To her great terror, the tailor began to speak.
"Boy, take the Lord Mayor's coat home, or I'll box your ears. Haven't
I killed seven at one blow? Haven't I slain two giants, a unicorn, and
a wild boar? What do I care for the men who are standing outside my
door at this moment?"
At these words off flew the men as though they had been shot from a
gun, and no more attempts were ever made on his life. So the Princess
had to make the best of a bad job.
He lived on and when the old King died he ascended the throne in his
stead. So the brave little tailor became ruler over the whole kingdom;
and his motto throughout his whole life was, "Seven at one blow."
* * * * *