Once in a village there lived a little tailor. He was brave, smart and cleaver. One day as he was busy stiching, some files flew down onto his food which was left open. Enraged, the little tailor swatted the file with a piece of cloth. Seven fell dead at one blow! So happy was the little tailor at his feat that he prompty stiched a belt and embroidered on it in large letters: " SEVEN WITH ONE BLOW."
Quite pleased with his work, he wanted the whole world to know of him. But he found only a piece of old cheese to take with him on his journey. On the way, the little tailor found a tiny bird caught in the bushes. He rescued it and made it comfortable in his coat pocket. On walked the little tailor till he reached a mountain. On top of its hightest peak there sat a mighty giant.
"Want to join me on my journey?" the little tailor boldly asked the gaint. The gaint agreed as he read thewordds on the tailors belt. He thought that the little tailor had killed seven people with one blow! Still, the gaint wanted to test the little tailor. He squeezed a rock to dust in his palm and challenged the tailor to do likewise. The clever tailor switched a rock with his cheese and squeezed it till it dripped!
Next the gaint threw a stone so high that it almost disappeared. The little tailor threw the bird instead, whiuch flew off never to never to never to return. The gaint next called the little tailor to lift a tree. The tailor suggested the gaint lift the trunk while he lifted the heavier branches and twings. He then wisely hid among the branches while the gaint carried the whole tree.
Soon the gaint was tired and put the tree down. The little tailor held a branch as if he had been carrying it. But he was fresh and whistling merrily. Defeated, the gaint took the little tailor to his friend in the cave. He was given a huge bed to sleep on. But the wise tailor hid himself in a corner. Taking the little tailor to be asleep on the bed, the gaint came around midnight and broke the bed in the two with a mighty blow of his heavy club.
Next morning, the gaint, happy to have finished off their opponent, went to the forest. There they saw the littlle tailor merry and bold as ever. The terrified gaints ran off in fear never to return. The little tailor walked on till he reached the palace. Mistaking him as a great warrior for the words on his belt, he was taken into the kings services.
But jealous courtiers objected to the newcormer. As a solution, the king sent the little tailor to kill two gaints who were tormenting his people. The little tailor reached the place at night. He found the gaints sleeping under a tree. Taking pocketful of stones, he climbed up the tree and slid onto the branch directly above them.
He took careful ai and hit one of the gaints on the head with a stone. "WHY DID YOU HIT ME?" the irritated gaint asked his companion. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" the other gaint was equally annoyed at losing his sleep. Gradually, the gaints drifted back to sleep. This time, the little tailor hit the second gaint with his stone. "STOP HITTNG ME" he roared at his companion. "WHO IS HITTING? ARE YOU MAD?" the other gaint shouted back. They almost came to blows over it.
Still, they went back to sleep after a while. Then the little tailor hit both in quick succession with well-aimed stones. "I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU THIS TIME," cried one."HITTING ME AND ON TOP OF IT, CALLING NAMES....." the other gaint did not back down. A terrible fight took place between the gaints. They attacked each other with trees and huge boulders till both fell dead. Then the little tailor got down from the tree.
The king was worried to see the triumphant little tailor. So he sent him to capture a dangerous unicorn that was terrifying his people. The little tailor went to the forest where the unicorn lived. Seeing a man approach, the unicorn charged at him, to stab him with its horn as it did many other others before him. But the little tailor was too nimble and wise for the unicorn. He positioned himself before a stout tree When the unicorn was almost upon him, he swiftly ducked to one side. The beast thrust its horn so hard into the tree that it was hopelessly trapped.
The little tailor put a rope around the unicorns neck. Then he cut off its horn and slowly led it to the palace. Alarmed at the skills of the little tailor, the king came out with another plan . He asked the little tailor to get rid of a terrible wild boar from the kingdom. He promised to marry his only daughter to him on his return. In the forest where the wild boar roamed, the little tailor found an abandoned stone house. He stood at its door and waited for the troublesome boar.
Soon the boar came, saw and charged straight at the little tailor. But the tailor quickly stepped aside and the boar rushed into the house through the open door. Alert as ever, the little tailor quickly shut the strong doors from outside, trapping the animal inside.
The victorious little tailor returned to the palace. He married the princess in all splendour. Though now a prince, he treated everyone kindly. One night, the little tailor talked inhis sleep: "MEND YOUR TROUSERS FAST OR IT WILL HIT YOU WITH MY YARDSTICK." The young queen heard her husband and knew at once that he was not a warrior, but a tailor.
She ran straight to the king, her father, and requested his help in geting rid of the tailor. The king told her to keep their bedroom doors unlocked the next day. His men would take care of the rest. The princess rushed back to her chambers. But one of the servants had overheard her plans. He warned the little tailor of the danger.
The next night as the little tailor pretended to sleep, the princess unlocked their bedroom doors. A small band of the kings soldiers waited for the right time , close y the doors. As if in sleep, the little tailor began to talk:"MEND THE TROUSERS FAST OR I WILL HIT WITH MY YARDSTICK. WITH ONE BLOW HAVE I KILLED SEVEN; TWO GAINTS, CAUGHT UNICORNS AND BOARS. WHAT CHANCE HAS THOSE FELLOWS OUTSIDE GOT?"
Hearing this, the kings men fled. The little tailor took such good care of the princess and the kingdom that everyone praised the brave, wise and humble tailor-turned-prince.
