The Valiant Little Tailor

1812 Germany

Story

Once upon a time, a little tailor was working in his shop when a peasant woman came by selling jam. He bought some and spread it on a piece of bread, but before he could eat it, seven flies landed on his jam. With one quick swat, he killed them all!

The tailor was so proud that he made himself a belt embroidered with the words "Seven at One Blow." He decided the whole world should know of his great deed, so he set off to seek his fortune with a small piece of cheese in his pocket.

In the woods, he met a giant who challenged him to a contest of strength. The giant squeezed water from a stone. The clever tailor squeezed his cheese until liquid ran from it, impressing the giant. When the giant threw a stone high into the air, the tailor released a bird from his pocket, which flew away and never came back!

The giant, thinking the little man must be incredibly strong, invited him to spend the night. But the giant planned to crush him with a club while he slept. The clever tailor, sensing danger, slept in the corner instead of the bed. When the giant struck the bed, he found only pillows. The tailor was safe!

Word of his bravery spread, and the tailor came to serve a king. The king, seeing the belt that said "Seven at One Blow," assumed the tailor was a great warrior. He sent him to defeat two terrible giants terrorizing the land.

The tailor found the giants sleeping under a tree. He climbed up and threw stones down on them. Each giant thought the other was hitting him, and they began to fight! They beat each other until both were exhausted and gave up.

The king then sent him after a fierce unicorn. The tailor stood before a tree, and when the unicorn charged, he stepped aside. The unicorn's horn stuck fast in the tree trunk! Next, the king sent him after a wild boar. The tailor lured it into a chapel and escaped through a window, trapping the beast inside.

Having completed all the tasks, the tailor was given the king's daughter in marriage and half the kingdom. The little tailor, who had started with nothing but quick wits and killed only seven flies, became a king and lived happily ever after.

History and Meaning

"The Valiant Little Tailor" (also called "The Brave Little Tailor") was collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. It is one of their most popular tales, celebrating wit over brute strength.

The story is a classic trickster tale where a clever underdog outsmarts opponents who are physically much stronger. The tailor never lies; people simply misinterpret "Seven at One Blow" to mean something grander than killing flies.

The tale teaches that intelligence and cleverness can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. The little tailor faces giants, unicorns, and wild boars, but wins through creative thinking rather than fighting.

This story has been adapted many times, including a famous 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon called "Brave Little Tailor" and numerous picture books. It remains beloved for its humor and its message that anyone, no matter how small, can achieve great things through cleverness.