The Valiant Little Tailor - Bedtime story by the Brothers Grimm

Summary

In a quaint town, a valiant tailor begins a journey after cleverly defeating seven flies with one blow. Embroidering 'seven at one blow' on his belt, he ventures out and encounters a giant, impressing him with his wit. The tailor cleverly outwits more giants, captures a unicorn, and traps a wild boar, earning him half a kingdom and the king's daughter. Despite a plot against him, the tailor's cunning helps him stay king, proving that bravery and wit can take one far beyond their humble beginnings.

Takeaways

• 🧵 The valiant tailor was diligent, working in his small workshop, always seeking new opportunities.
• 🍞 A humorous moment occurred when the tailor swatted seven flies while eating bread with jam, inspiring him to proclaim 'Seven at one blow!' on his belt.
• 🧀 The tailor tricked a giant by squeezing cheese to mimic the giant squeezing a stone, impressing the giant with his supposed strength.
• 🕊️ Using clever tricks, the tailor released a bird and threw it high into the sky, pretending it was a stone that would never return, further deceiving the giant.
• 🌲 The tailor outsmarted a giant by pretending to carry part of a heavy tree while the giant carried the full weight.
• 🍒 A moment of quick thinking allowed the tailor to avoid a cherry tree's branches by claiming to jump over it because of hunters, fooling the giant.
• 🏰 After his exploits, the tailor gained fame, and the townspeople mistakenly believed he killed seven giants, leading to an invitation from the king.
• 🦄 The king tasked the tailor with capturing a unicorn, which the tailor cleverly tricked into getting stuck in a tree, capturing it effortlessly.
• 🐗 The tailor then captured a wild boar by luring it into a chapel, showing his bravery and cunning to the king.
• 👑 Despite the king’s plotting to remove the tailor, the servant warned him, and the tailor used his wit to remain king, ruling the kingdom confidently.

Q & A

What motivates the tailor to leave his workshop and venture out into the world?

The tailor is motivated by his belief that his small workshop is too limiting for his bravery and achievements, especially after he killed seven flies in one blow and wanted the world to know of his accomplishment.

Why did the tailor embroider 'seven at one blow' on his belt?

The tailor embroidered 'seven at one blow' to commemorate his victory over seven flies. He wanted to boast about his achievement, even though it was a misunderstanding, as others believed it referred to people or giants.

How does the tailor outwit the giant during their first encounter?

The tailor outwits the giant by using clever tricks. When the giant squeezes water from a stone, the tailor squeezes liquid from a piece of cheese, pretending it's better than the stone trick. He also releases a bird into the air, tricking the giant into thinking he threw a stone that never returned.

What is the significance of the tailor carrying the tree branches when helping the giant?

The tailor cleverly pretends to carry the heaviest part of the tree (the branches and twigs), while the giant carries the trunk, effectively making the giant do all the hard work. This further deceives the giant into believing the tailor is much stronger than he appears.

How does the tailor manipulate the situation with the two giants in the forest?

The tailor throws stones at the sleeping giants, causing them to argue and eventually fight each other. In their rage, the two giants kill each other, allowing the tailor to take credit for their defeat without directly fighting them.

What was the tailor’s strategy for capturing the unicorn?

The tailor tricked the unicorn into charging at him while he stood in front of a tree. At the last moment, he dodged, causing the unicorn to get its horn stuck in the tree. He then easily captured it with a rope.

How does the tailor capture the wild boar?

The tailor lures the wild boar into a chapel, where it becomes trapped. He then closes the door, securing the boar inside without having to physically confront it.

Why does the king hesitate to give the tailor half his kingdom and his daughter’s hand in marriage?

The king hesitates because, despite the tailor’s apparent bravery, he doesn’t trust him and fears losing half his kingdom and his daughter to a simple tailor. He tries to avoid this by setting additional tasks for the tailor.

How does the tailor prevent the king’s servants from capturing him?

The tailor, having been warned by a servant, pretends to speak in his sleep, loudly recounting his brave deeds and claiming he fears nothing, including the servants. His bold words scare the servants, preventing them from capturing him.

What is the ultimate outcome for the tailor at the end of the story?

The tailor remains a king for the rest of his life. He cleverly outwits everyone, completing the tasks set before him, and even prevents the king from having him removed, thereby securing his position and future.