The brave Little Tailor (1)

The brave Little Tailor (1)



One summer morning,  a little tailor was sitting cross-legged on his table near the window, sewing cheerfully.  

As he was working with all his might, a peasant woman came down the street, crying, "Jam for sale!  Good jam for sale! "
 
That sounded good to the little tailor, especially as it was almost lunch time.

So he put his friendly face out of the window and shouted, "Come up here, good woman. I would like to buy some jam."

The woman walked up the steps of the tailor's shop with her heavy basket and laid out all the jars she had infront of him.

He examined them, picking each one up and holding it to his nose.
It took a while for the tailor to examine them all, but finally he said,  "This jam looks good to me. Weigh out four ounces for me, even if it comes to a quarter pound."

The woman had hoped for a better sale than this after letting him look at every single jar.

She gave him what he wanted, then went away with grumbling.

(1/18)
by Brother Grimm グリム童話より

The brave Little Tailor (2)

The brave Little Tailor (2)

When she had gone, Little tailor took a loaf of bread out of the cupboard and cut himself a thick slice on which to spread the jam. 

" That's looks delicious, " he thought,  
"May God bless this jam to give me health and strength."

" But before I bite into it, I'd better finish sewing this jacket"

He put the bread down next to him on the bench and continued his sewing, happily making his stitches larger and larger.

Meanwhile the smell of the sweet jam rose to the wall where a large number of flies were sitting.

And soon attracted by the smell, a swarm of them settled onto the bread.

"Hey! Who invited you?" exclaimed the little tailor, driving away the unbidden guests.

However, the flies took no notice of his flailing arms and buzzed around the jam in even greater number than before.  

By this time, the Little tailor losing his temper, he grabbed a piece of cloth from the drawer and shouted, "Just wait, now I will give you what for ! "
Then he hit at them without mercy.

 

When he backed off and counted, there were no fewer than seven of them lying dead before him, with their legs stretched out.

"Good gracious ! Aren't you someone?" he said to himself, surprised at his own bravery.
"The whole town must know about this."

He hastily cut out a banner belt for himself, then embroidered on it with large letters:Seven at one blow !.

"The whole town?" he said further. "The whole world shall hear about this!"

And his heart jumped for joy like a lamb's tail.

(2/18)

The brave Little Tailor (3)

The brave Little Tailor (3)



The Tailor put the banner belt around his waist and decided to go out into the wide world, for he thought that his workshop was too small for such bravery.

Before leaving he looked about his entire house to find something that he could take with him, but all he could find was a piece of old cheese, which he put in his pocket.

Outside the town gate he found a bird that was entangled in the thicket.

He rescued it and put it in his pocket with the cheese.

Then being light and agile he bravely took to the road, feeling as though he did not grow weary and could walk forever.  

After a while the road led him up a mountain, and when he reached the top a enormous giant was sitting there, looking around contentedly.

The little tailor went straight up to him and said,
"Good day, my friend. Are you just sitting here looking at the wide world below ?
I am on my way into the world to prove myself and to look for adventure.
Would you like to come with me?"

(3/18)
around タイプ間違えました。

The brave Little Tailor (4)

The brave Little Tailor (4)

The Giant gave him a scornful look and replied,  
" Funny fellow, you little sgrimp ! "

"You don't say!" cried the little tailor.
He unbuttoned his coat and showed the banner belt to the giant. "Read this, then you will know who you are talking to."

The giant read the words: Seven at one blow.

Obviously there was more to this little man than there seemed if he had killed seven men in this way.

He gained some respect for the little fellow.
But still he wanted to test him, so he picked up a stone and squeezed it so hard with his hand until water dripped from it.

"Do you have the strength to do what I have just done ?" asked the giant. 

"Is that all?" sniffed the little tailor.
"This is child's game for someone like me.

He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the old piece of cheese he 'd brought from his house.
Then he squeezed it in his hand until liquid ran from it.
"That was even better, wasn't it?" he said.

The giant could not understand how such a small man could be so strong.
He did not know what to say.

Then the giant picked up another stone and threw it so high in the air that it neary went out of sight, and said,
"Now, go on little man, you do that."

"A good throw !," said the tailor.
"But the stone did fall back to the ground again. I'll throw one so high that it will never fall on earth."

He then reached into his pocket, pulled out the bird, which he had rescued from the thicket, and threw it swiftly into the air.
Happy to be free once more, the bird flew up into the sky and out of sight.
"How did you like that, giant ?" asked the tailor.



(4/18)

The brave Little Tailor (5)

The brave Little Tailor (5)

" You can certainly throw, " said the giant.
" But can you carry as heavy as you can throw high ? "

He led the Little Tailor to a huge oak tree which had been chopped and down.


   
" If you are really that strong,  help me to lift up this tree, " he said.

" No problem, " said the tailor.
" take the trunk on your shoulders, and I will take care of the branches, and the top:they are much heavier. "

The giant took the trunk on his shoulders and the tailor sat down on a branch behind.

The giant then carried the whole tree by himself and , unknown to him, the tailor as well !

He perched comfortably on a branch, merrily whistling a song, as if carryig a tree was a piece of cake.

After a few yards the giant, who was almost crushed by the heavy burden, could not take another step and cried, " Look out, I am going to drop the tree. "

(5/18) 

皆様へ。

西新井は洋書の名所？ブログでお願いしましたように、１２日～１５日は、１日１分新作を、原則、休止させていただきます。何卒、宜しくお願い申しあげます。
なお、旅先で可能ならば、お送りできる場合もあります。

12日　札幌大通公園脇で、２行目のcarry 直しました。 

The brave Little Tailor (6)

The brave Little Tailor (6)


The little man sprang to the ground and seized the tree with both arms as if he had been doing his share all along.

" You are not all that powerful for a man of your size, " he remarked to the giant.

The odd pair continued walking and soon they passed by a cherry tree, heavy with fruit.

The giant reached to pick some of the ripest cherries from the top branches where they were growing.

Then he bent the branches down so that the tailor could also eat some of the cherries.

The tailor was, of course, too weak to hold the branches down by himself.

When the giant let go, the tree sprang upright, carrying the little man into the air with it.

When he fell back to the ground again the giant said, " What is the matter with you ? Don't you have the strength to bend such a little tree."
" This has nothing to do with strength, " answered the little tailor.
" Why, I jumped over the tree to save myself from the bullets coming from some hunters' guns who were shooting through the bushes. Couldn't you do it ? "

The giant tried, but he could not jump over the tree and get stuck in the branches.
So the tailor had the advantage over him yet again.

(6/18)
まあその、札幌にて

The brave Little Tailor (7)

The brave Little Tailor (7)

”Since you are such a sturdy man, " said the giant, 2 I invite you to our cave to spend the night with us. "

The tailor gladly accepted.

When they arrived, they found other giants sitting around a fire, they found other giants sitting around a fire, each with a roasted sheep in around a fire, each with a roasted sheep in his hand.

The giant showed the little tailor a bed where he could lie down, but as a bed where he could lie down, but as the bed was much too big for his little body, he curled up in a corner.

At midnight, when the giant thought the tailor was fast asleep, he seized a huge ironbar and was fast asleep, he seized a huge ironbar and struck the bed in the middle, thinking to kill the little man.

The next morning, the giants got up early.

They had fogotten all about the little tailor.

When they saw hi, come out of the cave, very jauntily and rather impudently, they were overcome with fear, so they ran away into the forest as fast as they could.

The little tailor continues his journey, still with his head in the air.

After a long day's walk, he arrived at a palace garden.
As he felt a little tired, he stretched out on the grass and fell asleep.

(7/18)
13日の分なんですけれど・・・。

The brave Little Tailor (8)

The brave Little Tailor (8)

Some people who worked in the palace found him.

They inspected him all sides and read on his banner belt: Seven at one blow !

" Oh, why is this great warrior here in time of peace ? " they asked themselves.
" He must be an important lord. "

They went to the King to tell him what they had seen.

They told him that if war was to break out, this man would be very useful and that they should on no account let him go.

The King followed thier advice and sent one of his courtier to the little man to serve him as soon as he woke up.

When the tailor opened his eyes and stretched out, the courtier at once offered him his services.

" I have in fact come for that purpose, " said the tailor.
" I am ready to accept the King's services. "

He was welcomed with all kinds of hornors and assigned an apartment in the palace, but the King's soldiers were jealous of him.

" What will happen if we have an argument with him ? " they muttered to each other.

" He will jump on us and kill seven at one blow. None of us will survive. We won't stand a chance ! "

(8/18)   

The brave Little Tailor (9)

The brave Little Tailor (9)

They decided to go to the King to ask him for permisson to leave.

" We cannot stay in the same place with a man who has killed seven at one blow, " they said to him.

The King was distressed to see all his soldiers abandon him like this.

He began to wish that he had never set eyes on the person who had caused all this trouble and said he was quite willing to get rid of the little tailor.

However, the King did not dare to dismiss him outright because he was too afraid that this fearsome man might kill him in order to seize the throne.

The King thought and thought, and at last came up with a plan.

He had to make the little tailor an offer that he could not refuse as a great warrior.

Now, there were two huge giants who committed all kinds of crims, who lived in the foreat of this country.

No one ever approached them without fearing for thier lives.

If the tailor were to defeat and killed them, the King promised to give him his nly daughter as his wife and half his kingdom as well.

He also gave him a hundred horsemen to help him carry out the task.

(9/18)

The brave Little Tailor (10)

The brave Little Tailor (10)

The little tailor thought that this was the chance of a lifetime.

He agreed to fight the two giants, but he did not need the help of the hundred horsemen, he said , because someone who has defeatedseven at one blow is not likely to be afraid of just two opponents.

He set off for the forest at once, followed by the hundred horsemen.

When he arrived at the adge of the forest, the little tailor told them to wait; he was determined to put an end to the two giants single-handed.

He went into the forest and carefully looked around him.

In less than a second he discovered the two giants.
They were sleeping under a tree, snoring so loudly that all the branches shook.

The little tailor filled his pockets with stones and climbed up into the tree at once.
He crept along a branch which was hanging just above the two sleeping giants and dropped the stones, one by one, on one giants's chest.

It took a long time before the giant felt anything, but at last he woke up, shook his friend and said, " What are you hitting me for ? "

" You are dreaming, " said the other. 
" I havn't touched you. "

(10/18)

The brave little tailor (12)

The brave little tailor (12)

The horseman could not believe it.

They went into the forest and, to their great surprise, they found the two giants covered in blood, with trees lying all around them.



The little tailor went to the King to claim his reward.

However, the King regretted that he had made this promise and he tried to find another way of getting rid of the tailor.

" There is another task you must complete before I give you my daughter and half of my kingdom, " said the King.

" There is a dangerous unicorn which runs about these forests doing a great deal of damage. I want you to capture it and bring it to the palace. "

" I am even less scared of unicorn than two giants. Seven atone blow is my motto, " declared the little tailor.

He took a rope and an axe, and went into the wood.

He ordered the soldiers who accompanied him to stay at the edge of the wood.

Soon the unicorn appeaed and charged towards the tailor, meaning to spear him with its horn.

(12/18)
仙台にて　その２

The brave little tailor (13)

The brave little tailor (13)

" Easy, easy, " said the tailor.
" Not too fast ! "

He stood still until animal was almost on top of him, then he quickly dodged behind a tree.

The unicorn, running with all its might, pierces his sharp horn so far into the trunk That it was impossible to pull it out again, and so the beast was caught.



The little tailor left his hiding place and put the rope around the unicorn's neck.

Then, with his axe, he released its horn that was stuck in the tree.

Finally he took the animal to the King.

(13/18)

お読みいただき、ありがとうございます。
旅行の変則日程にて、大変ご迷惑をおかけしました。
１８日以降、以前のように、午後１０時～遅くとも午前１時の間にアップ予定です。
なお、落ち着きましたら、ふたたび２本立ての予定です（現在選定中）。    

The Brave Little Tailor (14)

The Brave Little Tailor (14)

The King was amazed that he had captured the unicorn, but still he would not give the tailor his reward.

Instead  he made a third demand of him.

The taior was ordered to capture a wild boar that was rampaging in the nearby woods.

The man could, of course, have the assistance of the King's huntsmen.

The King was convinced that this time the little tailor was sure to fail.

Although he saw right through the King's plans, the tailor accepted this third demand, saying that it was merely child's play.

As before, he went into the forest alone, refusing help from the huntsmen.

They were not angry with his decision because the boar had more than once got the better of them, and had killed or injured several of their number in past hunts.
     
(14/18) 
予約投稿に失敗しました。遅くなり申し訳ありません。

The brave little Tailor (15)

The brave little Tailor (15)

The tailor strolled along the path and it wasn't long before he encountered the boar.

As soon as the boar saw him it charged at him, foaming at the mouth and snapping its sharp teeth that could easily bite through him.

The nimble man rushed into a nearby chapel and immediately jumped out of the window at the far end.

The boar rushed in after the tailor, but within two leaps the tailor rn around the outisde of the chapel and slammedthe door shut behind him.

The furious beast was cught, for it was too big and heavy to escape throungh the window.

(15/18)   

The brave Little Tailor (16)

The brave Little Tailor (16)

Then the tailor went to the King, who was now obliged to keep his word and gave the man his daughter and half his kingdom.

If he had known that his son-in-low was a mere needle worker and not a great worrior he would have been outraged.

The marrige was selebrated with much pomp, but little joy, and the little tailor became King.

One night, the young queen heard her husband talking in ihs dream.

" Hurry up, apprentice, finish that jacket and patch those trousers, or I will give you a good whack, " he was muttering.

She realized that the young man was not all he seemed and, listening closely, she soon discovered that he had been brought up in a tailor's shop.

(16/18)

The brave Little Tailor (17)

The brave Little Tailor (17)

The next morning she went to her father and complained.

She begged him to release her from her husband who was only a humble tailor.

The King promised that he would help her.

" Leave your room unlocked tonight, " he said.

"My soldiers will guard the door and , when the tailor is fast asleep, they will come in and chain him up.
Then they will take him to a ship that will carry him far away."

The young woman was delighted, but the King's footman, who had heard everything and who had grown to like the new heir, told him their plans.

" I will soon put a stop to that, " the tailor said to him.

(17/18) 

The brave Little Tailor (18 完)

The brave Little Tailor (18)

That evening he went to bed as usual.

When his wife thought he was fast asleep, she got out of bed to unlock the door and then returned to bed.

The little man, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to cry out,
" Hurry up, apprentice, finish that jacket and patch those trousers, or I will give you a good whack.
I have defeated seven at one blow; I have killed two giants, chased a unicorn and captured a boar.
Do you think I am afraid of the people that stand outside my door ? "

When they heard this, the soldiers were overcome by fear and ran away as if the devil was on their backs.

From then on no one ever dared to cross him and the tailor remained King for the rest of his life.

(18/18 完)