Stranica 150 [150]
+
poe
cote
114 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
the little tailor, “a beautiful princess and half a kingdom are
not to be had every day,” and he said to the King,
‘Oh yes, I can soon overcome the giants, and yet have no
need of the hundred horsemen ; he who can kill seven at one
blow has no need to be afraid of two.”
So the little tailor set out, and the hundred horsemen
followed him. When he came to the border of the wood he
said to his escort,
“Stay here while I go to attack the giants,”
. Then he sprang into the wood, and looked about him right
and left. After a while he caught sight of the two giants ; they
were lying down under a tree asleep, and snoring so that all
the branches shook. ‘The little tailor, all alive, filled both his
pockets with stones and climbed up into the tree, and made
his way to an overhanging bough, so that he could seat himself
just above the sleepers ; and from there he let one stone after
another fall on the chest of one of the giants. For a long time
the giant was quite unaware of this, but at last he waked up
and pushed his comrade, and said,
‘What are you hitting me for?”
‘You are dreaming,” said the other, "I am not touching
you.” And they composed themselves again to sleep, and
the tailor let fall a stone on the other giant.
“What can that be?” cried he, “what are you casting at
me?”
“T am casting nothing at you,’ answered the first,
grumbling.
They disputed about it for a while, but as they were
tired, they gave it up at last, and their eyes closed once more.
Then the little tailor began his game anew, picked out a
heavier stone and threw it down with force upon the first
giant’s chest.
“This is too much!” cried he, and sprang up like a
madman and struck his companion such a blow that the tree
shook above them. The other paid him back with ready
coin, and they fought with such fury that they tore up trees
by their roots to use for weapons against each other, so that
at last they both of them lay dead a the ground. And
now the little tailor got down.
“Another piece of luck!” said he,—‘‘ that the tree I was