The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed nose.
After he had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of a
royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and fell
asleep. Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on all
sides, and read on his girdle, “Seven at one stroke.” “Ah,” said they,
“What does the great warrior here in the midst of peace? He must be a
mighty lord.” They went and announced him to the King, and gave it as
their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a weighty and
useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to depart. The counsel
pleased the King, and he sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor
to offer him military service when he awoke. The ambassador remained
standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched his limbs and opened
his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal. “For this very reason
have I come here,” the tailor replied, “I am ready to enter the King’s
service.” He was therefore honorably received and a special dwelling
was assigned him.
The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, and wished
him a thousand miles away. “What is to be the end of this?” they said
amongst themselves. “If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him,
seven of us will fall at every blow; not one of us can stand against
him.” They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body to
the King, and begged for their dismissal. “We are not prepared,” said
they, “to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke.” The King was
sorry that for the sake of one he should lose all his faithful
servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, and would
willingly have been rid of him again. But he did not venture to give
him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all his
people dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He thought about it
for a long time, and at last found good counsel. He sent to the little
tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was such a great
warrior, he had one request to make to him. In a forest of his country
lived two giants who caused great mischief with their robbing,
murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach them
without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor conquered and
killed these two giants, he would give him his only daughter to wife,
and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one hundred horsemen
should go with him to assist him. “That would indeed be a fine thing
for a man like me!” thought the little tailor. “One is not offered a
beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one’s life!” “Oh,
yes,” he replied, “I will soon subdue the giants, and do not require
the help of the hundred horsemen to do it; he who can hit seven with
one blow has no need to be afraid of two.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account