The Junior Classics, Volume 1: Fairy and wonder tales
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 1: Fairy and wonder tales
Children's literature
The little Tailor now demanded the promised reward, but the King
repented his promise, and pondered once more how he could rid himself
of the hero. “Before you obtain the hand of my daughter and half my
kingdom,” he said to him, “you must do another deed of valor. A unicorn
is running about loose in the wood and doing much mischief; you must
first catch it.” “I’m even less afraid of one unicorn than of two
Giants; seven at a blow, that’s my motto.” He took a piece of cord and
an axe with him, went out to the wood, and again told the men who had
been sent with him to remain outside. He hadn’t to search long, for the
unicorn soon passed by, and, on perceiving the Tailor, dashed straight
at him as though it were going to spike him on the spot. “Gently,
gently,” said he; “not so fast, my friend;” and standing still he
waited till the beast was quite near, when he sprang lightly behind a
tree; the unicorn ran with all its force against the tree, and rammed
its horn so firmly into the trunk that it had no strength left to pull
it out again, and was thus successfully captured. “Now, I’ve caught my
bird,” said the Tailor, and he came out from behind the tree, placed
the cord round its neck first, then struck the horn out of the tree
within his axe, and when everything was in order led the beast Before
the King.
Still the King didn’t want to give him the promised reward and made a
third demand. The Tailor was to catch a wild boar for him that did a
great deal of harm in the wood; and he might have the huntsmen to help
him. “Willingly,” said the Tailor; “that’s mere child’s play.” But he
didn’t take the huntsmen into the wood with him, and they were well
enough pleased to remain behind, for the wild boar had often received
them in a manner which did not make them desire its further
acquaintance. As soon as the boar perceived the Tailor it ran at him
with foaming mouth and gleaming teeth, and tried to knock him down; but
our alert little friend ran into a chapel that stood near, and got out
of the window with a jump. The boar pursued him into the church, but
the Tailor skipped round to the door and closed it securely. So the
raging beast was caught, for it was far too heavy and unwieldy to
spring out of the window. The little Tailor summoned the huntsmen
together, that they might see the Prisoner with their own eyes. Then
the hero betook himself to the King, who was obliged now, whether he
liked it or not, to keep his promise, and hand him over his daughter
and half his kingdom. Had he known that no hero-warrior, but only a
little tailor, stood before him, it would have gone even more to his
heart. So the wedding was celebrated with much splendor and little joy,
and the Tailor became a King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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