The Brave Little Tailor: Difference between revisions

The Valiant Little Tailor
The Valiant Little Tailor
	The tailor provokes the giants.; Illustration by Alexander Zick
Folk tale
Name	The Valiant Little Tailor
Aarne–Thompson grouping	1640
Country	Germany
Published in	Grimm's Fairy Tales
Related	Jack and the Beanstalk ; Jack the Giant Killer

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The Valiant Little Tailor or The Brave Little Tailor is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 20.^[1] Joseph Jacobs collected another variant A Dozen at One Blow in European Folk and Fairy Tales.^[2] Andrew Lang included it in The Blue Fairy Book.^[3] Another of many versions of the tale appears in A Book of Giants by Ruth Manning-Sanders.

In the Aarne-Thompson classification system of classifying folktales, it is type 1640.^[4] It also include episodes of type 1060, Squeezing Water from a Stone; type 1062, A Contest in Throwing Stones; type 1052, A Contest in Carrying a Tree; type 1051, Springing with a Bent Tree; and type 1115, Attempting to Kill the Hero in His Bed.^[5]

Synopsis

A tailor is preparing to eat some jam, but when flies settle on it, he kills seven of them with one blow. He makes a belt describing the deed, "Seven at one blow". Inspired, he sets out into the world to seek his fortune. The tailor meets a Giant who assumes that "Seven at one blow" refers to seven men. The giant challenges the tailor. When the Giant squeezes water from a boulder, the tailor squeezes milk from cheese. The Giant throws a rock far into the air, and it eventually lands. The tailor counters the feat by releasing a bird that flies away; the Giant believes the small bird is a "rock" which is thrown so far that it never lands. The Giant asks the tailor to help carry a tree. The tailor directs the Giant to carry the trunk, while the tailor will carry the branches. Instead, the tailor climbs on, so the Giant carries him as well.

The Giant brings the tailor to the Giant's home, where other giants live as well. During the night, the Giant attempts to kill the man. However, the tailor, having found the bed too large, sleeps in the corner. On seeing him still alive, the other Giants flee, never to be seen again.

The tailor enters the royal service, but the other soldiers are afraid that he will lose his temper someday, and then seven of them might die with every blow. They tell the King that either the tailor leaves military service or they will. Afraid of being killed for sending him away, the king instead sends the tailor to defeat two Giants, offering him half his kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage. By throwing rocks at the two Giants while they sleep, the tailor provokes the pair into fighting each other. The King then sends him after a unicorn, but the tailor traps it by standing before a tree, so that when the unicorn charges, he steps aside and it drives its horn into the trunk. The King subsequently sends him after a wild boar, but the tailor traps it in a chapel.

With that, the King marries him to his daughter. His wife hears him talking in his sleep and realizes that he is merely a tailor. The King promises to have him carried off. A squire warns the tailor, who pretends to be asleep and calls out that he has done all these deeds and is not afraid of the men behind the door. Terrified, they leave, and the King does not try again.

Commentary

The technique of tricking the giants into fighting each other is identical to the technique used by Cadmus, in Greek mythology, to deal with the warriors who sprang up when he sowed dragon's teeth.^[6]

Adaptations

Mickey Mouse appeared in a Disney cartoon, Brave Little Tailor, based on this tale.

Tibor Harsányi composed a suite for narrator, 7 instruments and percussion in 1950. One of the most famous recordings of this work was performed by the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire conducted by Georges Prêtre with Peter Ustinov as the narrator reading in both English (Angel Records, 1966) and French (Pour les Enfants, EMI Classics France, 2002).

The Valiant Little Tailor was featured in Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics.

The Valiant Little Tailor was featured in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child where it was set in the West African Sahel. The tailor was called Bongo and was voiced by David Alan Grier and also featured the voice talents of James Earl Jones as King Dakkar, Mark Curry as the Giant, Dawnn Lewis as Princess Songe, and Zakes Mokae as Mr. Barbooska.

References

^ Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, Household Tales,"The Brave Little Tailor"
^ Joseph Jacobs, European Folk and Fairy Tales, "A Dozen at One Blow"
^ Andrew Lang, The Blue Fairy Book, "The Brave Little Tailor"
^ Heidi Anne Heiner, "Tales Similar to the Brave Little Tailor"
^ D. L. Ashliman, "The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales"
^ Richard M. Dorson, "Foreword", p xxii, Georgias A. Megas, Folktales of Greece, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1970

External links

The Brave Little Tailor, annotated
The Valiant Little Tailor

[1] Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, Household Tales,"The Brave Little Tailor"

[2] Joseph Jacobs, European Folk and Fairy Tales, "A Dozen at One Blow"

[3] Andrew Lang, The Blue Fairy Book, "The Brave Little Tailor"

[4] Heidi Anne Heiner, "Tales Similar to the Brave Little Tailor"

[5] D. L. Ashliman, "The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales"

[6] Richard M. Dorson, "Foreword", p xxii, Georgias A. Megas, Folktales of Greece, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1970

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[2]

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@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |Image_Name     = Das tapfere Schneiderlein.jpg
 |Image_Caption  = The [[tailor]] provokes the [[Giant (mythology)|giants]].<br/ >Illustration by [[Alexander Zick]]
-|AKA         asfasefasefsse   =
+|AKA            =
 |Aarne-Thompson Grouping       = 1640
 |Mythology      =
 |Country        = [[Germany]]
-|Region         =fasef
+|Region         =
 |Origin_Date    =
+|Published_In   = ''[[Grimm's Fairy Tales]]''
-|Published_In   = ''[[Grimm's Fairy Tales]]''arave Little Tailor''' is a German [[fairy tale]] collected by the [[Brothers Grimm]], tale number 20.<ref>Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, ''Household Tales'',"[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm020.html The Brave Little Tailor]"</ref>  [[Joseph Jacobs]] collected another variant ''A Dozen at One Blow'' in ''Europesafafasdes.com/authors/jacobs/european/dozenblow.html "A Dozen at One Blow" ]</ref> [[Andrew Lang]] included it in faswlang/295.htm "The Brave Little Tailor"]</ref> Another of many versions of the tale appears in ''[[A Book ddfofasdfaf Giants]]'' by [[Ruth Manning-Sanders]].
+|Related        = ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' <br/> ''[[Jack the Giant Killer]]''
+}}
+'''The Valiant Little Tailor''' or '''The Brave Little Tailor''' is a German [[fairy tale]] collected by the [[Brothers Grimm]], tale number 20.<ref>Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, ''Household Tales'',"[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm020.html The Brave Little Tailor]"</ref>  [[Joseph Jacobs]] collected another variant ''A Dozen at One Blow'' in ''European Folk and Fairy Tales''.<ref>Joseph Jacobs, ''European Folk and Fairy Tales'', [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/jacobs/european/dozenblow.html "A Dozen at One Blow" ]</ref> [[Andrew Lang]] included it in ''[[The Blue Fairy Book]]''.<ref>Andrew Lang, ''The Blue Fairy Book'', [http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/295.htm "The Brave Little Tailor"]</ref> Another of many versions of the tale appears in ''[[A Book of Giants]]'' by [[Ruth Manning-Sanders]].
+In the [[Aarne-Thompson]] classification system of [[classifying folktales]], it is type 1640.<ref>Heidi Anne Heiner, "[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/bravetailor/other.html Tales Similar to the Brave Little Tailor]"</ref>  It also include episodes of type 1060, Squeezing Water from a Stone; type 1062, A Contest in Throwing Stones; type 1052, A Contest in Carrying a Tree; type 1051, Springing with a Bent Tree; and type 1115, Attempting to Kill the Hero in His Bed.<ref>[[D. L. Ashliman]], "[http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales]"</ref>
-se
-The Giant brings the tailor to the Giant's home, whfaere other giants live as well. During the night, the Giant attempts to kill the man.f the other Giantseflee, sefthe [[Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire]] conducted by [[Georges Prêtre]] with [[Peter Ustinov]] as the narrator reading in both English ([[Angel Records]], 1966) and French (''Pour les Enfants'', EMI Classics France, 2002).
+==Synopsis==
-sassics]]''.
+A [[tailor]] is preparing to eat some [[jam]], but when [[fly|flies]] settle on it, he kills seven of them with one blow. He makes a belt describing the deed, "Seven at one blow". Inspired, he sets out into the world to seek his fortune. The tailor meets a [[Giant (mythology)|Giant]] who assumes that "Seven at one blow" refers to seven ''men''. The giant challenges the tailor. When the Giant squeezes water from a boulder, the tailor squeezes milk from cheese. The Giant throws a rock far into the air, and it eventually lands. The tailor counters the feat by releasing a bird that flies away; the Giant believes the small bird is a "rock" which is thrown so far that it never lands. The Giant asks the tailor to help carry a tree. The tailor directs the Giant to carry the trunk, while the tailor will carry the branches. Instead, the tailor climbs on, so the Giant carries him as well.
-efy Tales for Every Child]]'' where it was set in the West Africasdfts of [[James Earl Jones]] as King Dakkar, [[Mark Curry (actor)|Mark Curry]] as the Giant, [[Dawnn Lewis]] as Princess Songe, and [[Zakes Mokae]] as Mr. Barbooska.
+The Giant brings the tailor to the Giant's home, where other giants live as well. During the night, the Giant attempts to kill the man. However, the tailor, having found the bed too large, sleeps in the corner. On seeing him still alive, the other Giants flee, never to be seen again.
+The tailor enters the royal service, but the other [[soldier]]s are afraid that he will lose his temper someday, and then seven of them might die with every blow. They tell the [[Monarch|King]] that either the tailor leaves military service or they will. Afraid of being killed for sending him away, the king instead sends the tailor to defeat two Giants, offering him half his kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage. By throwing rocks at the two Giants while they sleep, the tailor provokes the pair into fighting each other. The King then sends him after a [[unicorn]], but the tailor traps it by standing before a tree, so that when the unicorn charges, he steps aside and it drives its horn into the trunk. The King subsequently sends him after a [[wild boar]], but the tailor traps it in a chapel.
+With that, the King marries him to his daughter. His wife hears him talking in his sleep and realizes that he is merely a tailor. The King promises to have him carried off. A squire warns the tailor, who pretends to be asleep and calls out that he has done all these deeds and is not afraid of the men behind the door. Terrified, they leave, and the King does not try again.
+==Commentary==
+The technique of tricking the giants into fighting each other is identical to the technique used by [[Cadmus]], in Greek mythology, to deal with the warriors who sprang up when he sowed dragon's teeth.<ref>Richard M. Dorson, "Foreword", p xxii, Georgias A. Megas, ''Folktales of Greece'', University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1970</ref>
+==Adaptations==
+* [[Mickey Mouse]] appeared in a Disney cartoon, ''[[Brave Little Tailor]]'', based on this tale.
+* [[Tibor Harsányi]] composed a [[suite (music)|suite]] for narrator, 7 instruments and percussion in 1950.  One of the most famous recordings of this work was performed by the [[Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire]] conducted by [[Georges Prêtre]] with [[Peter Ustinov]] as the narrator reading in both English ([[Angel Records]], 1966) and French (''Pour les Enfants'', EMI Classics France, 2002).
+* The Valiant Little Tailor was featured in ''[[Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics]]''.
+* The Valiant Little Tailor was featured in ''[[Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child]]'' where it was set in the West African Sahel. The tailor was called Bongo and was voiced by [[David Alan Grier]] and also featured the voice talents of [[James Earl Jones]] as King Dakkar, [[Mark Curry (actor)|Mark Curry]] as the Giant, [[Dawnn Lewis]] as Princess Songe, and [[Zakes Mokae]] as Mr. Barbooska.
 ==See also==

v t e The Brothers Grimm
Jacob Grimm · Wilhelm Grimm
Works	Grimms' Fairy Tales Deutsche Sagen Deutsche Mythologie Deutsches Wörterbuch
Notable tales	"Bearskin" "The Brave Little Tailor" "Brother and Sister" "Cat and Mouse in Partnership" "Cinderella" "The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs" "Doctor Know-all" "The Dog and the Sparrow" "The Elves and the Shoemaker" "The Fisherman and His Wife" "The Four Skillful Brothers" "The Frog Prince" "The Gnome" "Godfather Death" "The Golden Bird" "The Golden Goose" "The Goose Girl" "The Goose-Girl at the Well" "The Grave Mound" "Hans My Hedgehog" "Hansel and Gretel" "The Hut in the Forest" "The Jew Among Thorns" "Jorinde and Joringel" "The Juniper Tree" "The King of the Golden Mountain" "King Thrushbeard" "Little Red Riding Hood" "Mary's Child" "Mother Holle" "Old Hildebrand" "Old Sultan" "Pied Piper of Hamelin" "The Queen Bee" "Rapunzel" "The Riddle" "The Robber Bridegroom" "Rumpelstiltskin" "The Seven Ravens" "The Singing, Springing Lark" "The Six Servants" "The Six Swans" "Sleeping Beauty" "Snow White" "Snow-White and Rose-Red" "The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was" "The Three Little Men in the Wood" "The Three Spinners" "Thumbling" "Town Musicians of Bremen" "Trusty John" "The Turnip" "The Twelve Brothers" "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" "The Water of Life" "The White Snake" "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats" "The Wonderful Musician"
Other	Grimm's law Göttingen Seven Grim Tales The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm Once Upon a Brothers Grimm Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics Simsala Grimm The Brothers Grimm Grimm Tales The Sisters Grimm Fairy tale American McGee's Grimm German Fairy Tale Route Grimm Once Upon a Time The 10th Kingdom The Grimm Variations
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