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031 - The Brave Little Tailor · Blue Fairy Book

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Speaker 1: The Brave Little Taylor, The Blue Fairy Book. This is
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Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: For moral information all to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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Speaker 1: This reading by Lucy Burgoyn. The Blue Fairy Book by
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Speaker 1: Andrew Lang, Chapter thirty one, The Brave Little Taylor. One
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Speaker 1: summer's day, a little tailor sat on his table by
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Speaker 1: the window, in the best of spirits, and sewed for
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Speaker 1: dear life. As he was sitting thus, a peasant woman
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Speaker 1: came down the street, calling out, good jam to sell,
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Speaker 1: good jam to sell. This sounded sweetly in the tailor's ears.
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Speaker 1: He put his frail little head out of the window
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Speaker 1: and shouted up here, my good woman, and you'll find
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Speaker 1: a willing customer. The woman climbed up the three flights
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Speaker 1: of stairs with a heavy basket to the tailor's room,
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Speaker 1: and he made her spread out all the pots in
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Speaker 1: a row before him. He examined them all, lifted them
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Speaker 1: up and smelled them, and said, at last, this jam
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Speaker 1: seems good. Weigh me four ounces of it, my good woman,
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Speaker 1: and even if it's a quarter of a pound, I
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Speaker 1: won't stick at it. The woman who had hoped to
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Speaker 1: find a good market, gave him what he wanted, but
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Speaker 1: went away grumbling wrathfully. Now Heaven shall bless this jam
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Speaker 1: for my use, cried the little tailor, and it shall
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Speaker 1: sustain and strengthen me. He fetched some bread out of
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Speaker 1: a cupboard, cut around off the loaf, and spread the
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Speaker 1: jam on it. That won't taste a miss, he said.
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Speaker 1: But I'll finish that waistcoat first before I take a bite.
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Speaker 1: He placed the bread beside him, went on sewing, and
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Speaker 1: out of the lightness of his heart, kept on making
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Speaker 1: his stitches bigger and bigger. In the meantime, the smell
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Speaker 1: of the sweet jamb rose to the ceiling where heaps
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Speaker 1: of flies were sitting, and attracted them to such an
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Speaker 1: extent that they swarmed on to it in masses. Ha
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Speaker 1: who invited you, said the tailor, and chased the unwelcome
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Speaker 1: guests away. But the flies, who didn't understand English, refused
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Speaker 1: to let themselves be warned off, and returned again in
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Speaker 1: even greater numbers. At last, the little tailor, losing all patience,
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Speaker 1: reached out of his chimney corner for a duster and exclaiming, wait,
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Speaker 1: and I'll give it to you. He beat them mercilessly
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Speaker 1: with it. When he left off, he counted the slain,
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Speaker 1: and no fewer than seven lay dead before him with
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Speaker 1: outstretched leags. What a desperate fellow I am, said he,
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Speaker 1: and was filled with admiration at his own courage. The
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Speaker 1: whole town must know about this, And in great haste
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Speaker 1: the little tailor cut out a girdle, hemmed it, and
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Speaker 1: embroidered on it in big letters. Seven at a blow.
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Speaker 1: What did I say the town? No, the whole world
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Speaker 1: shall hear of it, he said, and his heart beat
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Speaker 1: for joy as a lamb wags his tail. The tailor
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Speaker 1: strapped the girdle round his waist and set out into
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Speaker 1: the wide world, for he considered his workroom too small
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Speaker 1: a field for his prowess. Before he set forth, he
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Speaker 1: looked round about him to see if there was anything
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Speaker 1: in the house he could take with him on his journey.
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Speaker 1: But he found nothing except an old cheese, which he
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Speaker 1: took possession of. In front of the house, he observed
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Speaker 1: a bird that had been caught in some bushes, and
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Speaker 1: this he put into his wallet beside the cheese. Then
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Speaker 1: he went on his way merrily, and being like and agile,
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Speaker 1: he never felt tired. His way lit up a hill,
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Speaker 1: on the top of which sat a powerful giant who
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Speaker 1: was calmly surveying the landscape. The little tailor went up
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Speaker 1: to him, and, greeting him cheerfully, said, good day friend.
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Speaker 1: There you sit at your ease, viewing the whole wide world.
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Speaker 1: I'm just on my way there. What do you say
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Speaker 1: to accompanying me? The giant looked temptuously at the tailor
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Speaker 1: and said, what a poor, wretched little creature you are.
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Speaker 1: That's a good joke, answered the little tailor, and unbuttoning
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Speaker 1: his coat, he showed the giant the girdle there. Now
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Speaker 1: you can read what sort of a fellow I am?
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Speaker 1: The giant read seven at a blow, and, thinking they
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Speaker 1: were human beings, the tailor had slain. He conceived a
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Speaker 1: certain respect for the little man, But first he thought
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Speaker 1: he'd tested him. So, taking up a stone in his hand,
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Speaker 1: he squeezed it till some drops of water ran out.
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Speaker 1: Now you do the same, said the giant, if you
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Speaker 1: really wish to be thought strong, Is that all? Said
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Speaker 1: the little tailor. That's child's play to me. So he
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Speaker 1: dived into his wallet brought out the cheese and pressed
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Speaker 1: it till the way ran out. My squeeze was in
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Speaker 1: sooth better than yours, said he. The giant didn't know
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Speaker 1: what to say that he couldn't have believed it of
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Speaker 1: the little fellow. To prove him again, the giant lifted
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Speaker 1: a stone and threw it so high that the eye
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Speaker 1: could hardly follow it. Now, my little pigmy, let me
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Speaker 1: see you do that well thrown, said the tailor. But
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Speaker 1: after all your stone fell to the ground, I'll throw
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Speaker 1: one that won't come down at all. He dived into
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Speaker 1: his wallet again, and grasping the bird in his hand,
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Speaker 1: he threw it up into the air. The bird, enchanted
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Speaker 1: to be free, sawed up into the sky and flew away,
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Speaker 1: never to return. Well, what do you think of that
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Speaker 1: little piece of business, friend, asked the tailor. You can
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Speaker 1: certainly throw, said the giant. But now let's see if
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Speaker 1: you can carry a proper weight. With these words, he
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Speaker 1: led the tailor to a huge oak tree which had
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Speaker 1: been fell to the ground, and said, if you are
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Speaker 1: strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of
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Speaker 1: the wood. Most certainly, said the little tailor. Just you
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Speaker 1: take the trunk on your shoulder. I'll bear the top
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Speaker 1: and branches, which is certainly the heaviest part. The giant
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Speaker 1: laid the trunk on his shoulder, but the tailor sat
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Speaker 1: at his ease among the branches, and the giant, who
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Speaker 1: couldn't see what was going on behind him, had to
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Speaker 1: carry the whole tree and the little tailor into the bargain.
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Speaker 1: There he sat behind in the best of spirits, lustily
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Speaker 1: whistling a tune, as if carrying the tree were mare's sport.
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Speaker 1: The giant, after dragging the heavy weight for some time,
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Speaker 1: could get on no further and shouted out, high, I
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Speaker 1: must let the tree fall. The tailor sprang nimbly down,
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Speaker 1: seized the tree with both hands as if he had
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Speaker 1: carried it the whole way, and said to the giant,
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Speaker 1: fancy a big lout like you not being able to
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Speaker 1: carry a tree. They continued to go on their way together,
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Speaker 1: and as they passed by a cherry tree, the giant
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Speaker 1: grasped the top of it, where the ripeous fruit hung,
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Speaker 1: gave the branches into the tailor's hand and bade him meet.
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Speaker 1: But the little tailor was far too weak to hold
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Speaker 1: the tree down, and when the giant let go, the
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Speaker 1: tree swung back into the air, bearing the little tailor
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Speaker 1: with it. When he had fallen to the ground again
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Speaker 1: without hurting himself, the giant said, what do you mean
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Speaker 1: to tell me you haven't the strength to hold down
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Speaker 1: a feeble twig. It wasn't strength that was wanting, replied
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Speaker 1: the tailor. Do you think that would have been anything
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Speaker 1: for a man who has killed seven at a blow?
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Speaker 1: I jumped over the tree because the huntsmen are shooting
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Speaker 1: among the branches near us. Do you do the like
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Speaker 1: if you dare? The giant made an attempt, but couldn't
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Speaker 1: get over the tree and stuck fast in the branches,
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Speaker 1: so that here too, the little tailor had the better
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Speaker 1: of him. Well you're a fine fellow, after all, said
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Speaker 1: the giant. Come and spend the night with us in
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Speaker 1: our cave. The little tailor willingly consented to do this,
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Speaker 1: and following his friend, they went on till they reached
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Speaker 1: a cave where several other giants were sitting round a fire,
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Speaker 1: each holding a roast sheep in his hand, of which
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Speaker 1: he was eating. The little tailor looked about him and thought, yes,
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Speaker 1: there's certainly more room to turn round in here than
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Speaker 1: in my workshop. The giant showed him a bed and
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Speaker 1: bade him lie down and have a good sleep. But
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Speaker 1: the bed was too big for the little tailor, so
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Speaker 1: he didn't get into it, but crept away into the corner.
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Speaker 1: At midnight, when the giant thought the little tailor was
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Speaker 1: fast asleep, he rose up, and, taking his big iron
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Speaker 1: walking stick, he broke the bed in two with a blow,
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Speaker 1: and thought he had made an end of the little grasshopper.
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Speaker 1: At early dawn, the giants went off to the wood
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Speaker 1: and quite forgot about the little tailor till all of
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Speaker 1: a sudden they met him trudging along in the most
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Speaker 1: cheerful manner. The giants were terrified at the apparition, and
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Speaker 1: fearful lest he should slay them. They all took to
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Speaker 1: their heels as fast as they could. The little Tailor
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Speaker 1: continued to follow his nose, and after he wandered about
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Speaker 1: for a long time, he came to the courtyard of
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Speaker 1: a royal palace, and, feeling tired, he lay down on
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Speaker 1: the grass and fell asleep. While he lay there, the
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Speaker 1: people came and looking him all over, read on his
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Speaker 1: girdle seven at a blow. Oh, they said, what can
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Speaker 1: this great hero of a hundred fights want in our
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Speaker 1: peaceful land. He must indeed be a mighty man of valor.
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Speaker 1: They went and told the King about him, and said
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Speaker 1: what a weighting and useful man he'd be in time
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Speaker 1: of war, and that it would be well to secure
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Speaker 1: him at any price. This counsel pleased the King, and
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Speaker 1: he sent one of his courtiers down to the Little
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Speaker 1: Tailor to offer him when he awoke a commission in
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Speaker 1: their army. The messenger remained standing by the sleeper and
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Speaker 1: waited till he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes.
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Speaker 1: When he tended his proposal. That's the very thing I
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Speaker 1: came here for, he answered, I am quite ready to
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Speaker 1: enter the King's service. So he was received with all
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Speaker 1: honor and given a special house of his own to
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Speaker 1: live in. But the other officers resented the success of
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Speaker 1: the Little Tailor and wished him a thousand miles away.
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Speaker 1: What's to come of it all, they asked each other.
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Speaker 1: If we quarrel with him, he'll let out at us,
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Speaker 1: and at every blow seven will fall. There'll soon be
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Speaker 1: an end of us. So they resolved to go in
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Speaker 1: a body to the King and all to send in
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Speaker 1: their papers. We are not made, they said, to hold
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Speaker 1: out against a man who kills seven at a blow.
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Speaker 1: The king was grieved at the thought of losing all
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Speaker 1: his faithful servants for the sake of one man, and
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Speaker 1: he wished heartily that he had never set eyes on him,
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Speaker 1: or that he could get rid of him. But he
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Speaker 1: didn't dare to send him away, for he feared he
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Speaker 1: might kill him along with his people, and place himself
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Speaker 1: on the throne. He pondered long and deeply over the matter,
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Speaker 1: and finally came to a conclusion. He sent to the
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Speaker 1: tailor and told him that, seeing what a great and
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Speaker 1: warlike hero he was, he was about to make him
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Speaker 1: an offer. In a certain wood of his kingdom, there
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Speaker 1: dwell two giants who did much harm by the way
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Speaker 1: they robbed, murdered, burned, and plundered everything about them. No
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Speaker 1: one could approach them without endangering his life. But if
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Speaker 1: he could overcome and kill these two giants, he should
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Speaker 1: have his only daughter for a wife and half his
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Speaker 1: kingdom into the bargain. He might have a hundred horsemen
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Speaker 1: too to back him up. That's the very thing for
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Speaker 1: a man like me, thought the little tailor. One doesn't
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Speaker 1: get the offer of a beautiful princess and half a
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Speaker 1: kingdom every day. Done with you, he answered, I've soon
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Speaker 1: put an end to the giants, but I haven't the
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Speaker 1: smallest need of your hundred horsemen. A fellow who can
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Speaker 1: slay seven men at a blow need not be afraid
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Speaker 1: of two. The little Tailor set out, and the hundred
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Speaker 1: horsemen followed him. When he came to the outskirts of
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Speaker 1: the wood, he said to his followers, you wait here.
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Speaker 1: I'll manage the giants by myself, and he went on
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Speaker 1: into the wood, casting his sharp little eyes right and
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Speaker 1: left about him. After a while he spied the two
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Speaker 1: giants lying asleep under a tree and snoring till the
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Speaker 1: very boughs bent with the breeze. The little Tailor lost
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Speaker 1: no time in filling his wallet with stones, and then
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Speaker 1: climbed up the tree under which they lay. When he
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Speaker 1: got to about the middle of it, he slipped along
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Speaker 1: a branch till he sat just above the sleepers. When
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Speaker 1: he threw down one stone after the other on the
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Speaker 1: nearest giant. The giant felt nothing for a long time,
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Speaker 1: but at last he woke up, and, pinching his companion,
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Speaker 1: said what did you strike me? For? I didn't strike you,
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Speaker 1: said the other. You must be dreaming. They both lay
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Speaker 1: down to sleep again, and the tailor threw down a
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Speaker 1: stone on the second giant, who sprung up and cried,
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Speaker 1: what's that for? Why did you throw something at me?
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Speaker 1: I don't throw anything, growled the first one. They wrangled
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Speaker 1: on for a time till as both were tired, they
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Speaker 1: made up the matter and fell asleep again. The little
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Speaker 1: Tailor began his game once more, and flung the larger
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Speaker 1: stone he could find in his wallet with all his
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Speaker 1: force and hit the first giant the chest. This is
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Speaker 1: too much of a good thing, he yelled, and springing
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Speaker 1: up like a madman, he knocked his companion against the
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Speaker 1: tree till he trembled. He gave, however, as good as
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Speaker 1: he got, and they became so enraged that they tore
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Speaker 1: up trees and beat each other with them till they
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Speaker 1: both fell dead at once on the ground. Then the
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Speaker 1: little Tailor jumped down. It's a mercy, he said, that
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Speaker 1: they didn't root up the tree on which I was perched,
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Speaker 1: or I should have had to jump like a squirrel
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Speaker 1: on to another, which, nimble though I am, would have
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Speaker 1: been no easy job. He drew his sword and gave
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Speaker 1: each of the giants a very fine thrust or two
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Speaker 1: on the breast, and then went to the horseman and said,
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Speaker 1: the deed is done. I've put an end to the
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Speaker 1: two with them, but I assure you it has been
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Speaker 1: no easy matter. For they even tore up trees in
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Speaker 1: their struggle to defend themselves. But all that's of no
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Speaker 1: use against one who slays seven men at a blow.
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Speaker 1: Weren't you wounded, asked the horseman. No fear, answered the tailor.
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Speaker 1: They haven't touched a hair of my head. But the
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Speaker 1: horsemen wouldn't believe him till they rode into the wood
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Speaker 1: and found the giants well, bringing in their blood, and
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Speaker 1: the trees lying around torn up by the roots. The
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Speaker 1: little tailor now demanded the promised reward from the king,
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Speaker 1: but he repented his promise and pondered once more how
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Speaker 1: he could rid himself of the hero. Before you obtain
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Speaker 1: the hand of my daughter and half my kingdom, he
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Speaker 1: said to him, you must do another deed of valor.
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Speaker 1: The unicorn is running about loose in the wood and
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Speaker 1: doing much mischief. You must first catch it. I'm even
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Speaker 1: less afraid of one unicorn than of two giants seven
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Speaker 1: at a blow. That's my motto. He took a piece
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Speaker 1: of cord and an axe with him, went out to
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Speaker 1: the wood, and again told the men who had been
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Speaker 1: sent with him to remain outside. He hadn't to search
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Speaker 1: long for the unicorn soon passed by, and, on perceiving
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Speaker 1: the tailor, dashed straight at him, as though it were
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Speaker 1: going to spike him on the spot. Gently gently said
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Speaker 1: he not so fast, my friend, and standing still, he
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Speaker 1: waited till the beast was quite near. When he sprung
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Speaker 1: lightly behind a tree. The unicorn ran with all its
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Speaker 1: force against the tree and rammed its horn so firmly
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Speaker 1: into the trunk that it had no strength left to
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Speaker 1: pull it out again, and was thus successfully captured. Now
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Speaker 1: I've caught my bird, said the tailor, and he came
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Speaker 1: out from behind the tree, placed a cord round his
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Speaker 1: neck first, then struck the horn out of the tree
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Speaker 1: with his axe, and when everything was in order, led
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Speaker 1: the beast before the king. Still, the king didn't want
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Speaker 1: to give him the promised reward, and made a third demand.
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Speaker 1: The tailor was to catch a wild ball for him
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Speaker 1: that did a great deal of harm in the wood,
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Speaker 1: and he might have the huntsman to help him. Willingly,
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Speaker 1: said the tailor, that's mere child's play. But he didn't
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Speaker 1: take the huntsman into the wood with him, and they
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Speaker 1: were well enough pleased to remain behind. For the while
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Speaker 1: Ball had often received them in a manner which did
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Speaker 1: not make them desire its further acquaintance. As soon as
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Speaker 1: the boar perceived the tailor, it ran at him with
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Speaker 1: foaming mouth and gleaming teeth, and tried to knock him down.
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Speaker 1: But our alert little friend ran into a chapel that
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Speaker 1: stood near, and got out of the window again with
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Speaker 1: a jump. The bull pursued him into the church, but
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Speaker 1: the tailor skipped round to the door and closed it securely,
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Speaker 1: so the raging beast was caught, for it was far
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Speaker 1: too heavy and unwildly to spring out of the window.
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Speaker 1: The little tailor summoned the huntsmen together that they might
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Speaker 1: see the prisoner with their own eyes. Then the hero
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Speaker 1: betook himself to the king, who was obliged, now whether
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Speaker 1: he liked it or not, to keep his promise and
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Speaker 1: hand him over his daughter and half his kingdom. Had
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Speaker 1: he known that no hero warrior, but only a little
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Speaker 1: tailor stood before him, it would have gone even more
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Speaker 1: to his heart. So The wedding was celebrated with much
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Speaker 1: splendor and little joy, and the tailor became a king.
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Speaker 1: After a time, the queen heard her husband saying, one
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Speaker 1: night in his sleep, my lad, make that waistcoat and
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Speaker 1: patch these trousers, or I'll box your ears. Thus she
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Speaker 1: learned in what rank the young gentleman had been born,
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Speaker 1: and next day she poured forth her woes to her
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Speaker 1: father and begged him to help her to get rid
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Speaker 1: of her husband, who was nothing more nor less than
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Speaker 1: a tailor. The king comforted her and said, leave your
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Speaker 1: bedroom door open to night. My servants shall stand outside,
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Speaker 1: and when your husband is fast asleep, they shall enter,
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Speaker 1: bind him fast, and carry him on to a ship
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Speaker 1: which shall sail away out into the wide ocean. The
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Speaker 1: queen was well satisfied with the idea, but the armor bearer,
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Speaker 1: who had overheard everything, being much attached to his young master,
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Speaker 1: went straight to him and revealed the whole plot. I'll
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Speaker 1: soon put a stop to the business, said the tailor.
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Speaker 1: That night, he and his wife went to bed at
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Speaker 1: the usual time, and when she thought he had fallen asleep,
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Speaker 1: she got up, opened the door, and then lay down again.
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Speaker 1: The little tailor, who had only pretended to be asleep,
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Speaker 1: began to call out in a clear voice, my lad,
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Speaker 1: make that waste and patch those trousers, or I'll box
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Speaker 1: your ears. I have killed seven at a blow, slain
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Speaker 1: two giants, led a unicorn captive, and caught a wild boar.
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Speaker 1: Then why should I be afraid of those men standing
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Speaker 1: outside my door? The men, when they heard the Tailor
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Speaker 1: saying these words, were so terrified that they fled as
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Speaker 1: if pursued by a wild army, and didn't dare go
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Speaker 1: near him again. So the little Tailor was and remained
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Speaker 1: a king all the days of his life. End the story.