ONE EYE, TWO EYES, THREE EYES
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mabie, Hamilton Wright, Forbush, William Byron, and Hale, Edward Everett
[page 280]
I am afraid the Lord Mayor had some stitches in his garment that were quite a quarter of an inch long.
The tailor glanced longingly at his slice of bread and jam once or twice, but when he looked the third time it was quite covered with flies, and a fine feast they were having off it.
This was too much for the little fellow. Up he jumped, crying:
"So you think I provide bread and jam for you, indeed! Well, we'll very soon see! Take that!" and he struck the flies such a heavy blow with a duster that no fewer than seven lay dead upon the table, while the others flew up to the ceiling in great haste.
"Seven at one blow!" said the little man with great pride. "Such a brave deed ought to be known all over the town, and it won't be my fault if folks fail to hear of it."
So he cut out a wide belt, and stitched on it in big golden letters the words "Seven at one blow." When this was done he fastened it round him, crying:
"I'm cut out for something better than a tailor, it's quite clear. I'm one of the world's great heroes, and I'll be off at once to seek my fortune."
He glanced round the cottage, but there was nothing of value to take with him. The only thing he possessed in the world was a small cheese.
"You may as well come, too," said he, stowing away the cheese in his pocket, "and now I'm off."
When he got into the street the neighbors all crowded round him to read the words on his belt.
"Seven at one blow!" said they to one another. "What a blessing he's going; for it wouldn't be safe to have a man about us who could kill seven of us at one stroke."
You see, they didn't know that the tailor had only killed flies; they took it to mean men.
He jogged along for some miles until he came to a hedge, where a little bird was caught in the branches.
"Come along," said the tailor; "I'll have you to keep my cheese company"; so he caught the bird and put it carefully into his pocket with the cheese.
[page 281]
Soon he reached a lofty mountain, and he made up his mind to climb it and see what was going on at the other side. When he reached the top, there stood a huge giant, gazing down into the valley below.
"Good day," said the tailor.
The giant turned round, and seeing nobody but the little tailor there, he cried with scorn:
"And what might you be doing here, might I ask? You'd best be off at once."
"Not so fast, my friend," said the little man; "read this."
"Seven at one blow," read the giant, and he began to wish he'd been more civil.
"Well, I'm sure nobody would think it to look at you," he replied; "but since you are so clever, do this," and he picked up a stone and squeezed it until water ran out.
"Do that! Why, it's mere child's play to me," and the man took out his cheese and squeezed it until the whey ran from it. "Now who is cleverer?" asked the tailor. "You see, I can squeeze milk out, while you only get water."
The giant was too surprised to utter a word for a few minutes; then, taking up another stone, he threw it so high into the air that for a moment they couldn't see where it went; then down it fell to the ground again.
"Good!" said the tailor; "but I'll throw a stone that won't come back again at all."
Taking the little bird from his pocket, he threw it into the air, and the bird, glad to get away, flew right off and never returned.
This sort of thing didn't suit the giant at all, for he wasn't used to being beaten by any one.
"Here's something that you'll never manage," said he to the little man. "Just come and help me to carry this fallen oak-tree for a few miles."
"Delighted!" said the tailor, "and I'll take the end with the branches, for it's sure to be heavier."
"Agreed," replied the giant, and he lifted the heavy trunk on to his shoulder, while the tailor climbed up among the branches at the other end, and sang with all his might, as though carrying a tree was nothing to him.
[page 282]
The poor giant, who was holding the tree-trunk and the little tailor as well, soon grew tired.
"I'm going to let it fall!" he shouted, and the tailor jumped down from the branches, and pretended he had been helping all the time.
"The idea of a man your size finding a tree too heavy to carry!" laughed the little tailor.
"You are a clever little fellow, and no mistake," replied the giant, "and if you'll only come and spend the night in our cave, we shall be delighted to have you."
"I shall have great pleasure in coming, my friend," answered the little tailor, and together they set off for the giant's home.
There were seven more giants in the cave, and each one of them was eating a roasted pig for his supper. They gave the little man some food, and then showed him a bed in which he might pass the night. It was so big that, after tossing about for half an hour in it, the tailor thought he would be more comfortable if he slept in the corner, so he crept out without being noticed.
In the middle of the night the giant stole out of bed and went up to the one where he thought the little man was fast asleep. Taking a big bar of iron, he struck such a heavy blow at it that he woke up all the other giants.
"Keep quiet, friends," said he. "I've just killed the little scamp."