eese. Then he went
on his way merrily, and being light and agile he never felt tired. His
way led up a hill, on the top of which sat a powerful giant, who was
calmly surveying the landscape. The little tailor went up to him, and
greeting him cheerfully said: "Good-day, friend; there you sit at your
ease viewing the whole wide world. I'm just on my way there. What do you
say to accompanying me?" The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor,
and said: "What a poor wretched little creature you are!" "That's a good
joke," answered the little tailor, and unbuttoning his coat he showed
the giant the girdle. "There now, you can read what sort of a fellow
I am." The giant read: "Seven at a blow"; and thinking they were human
beings the tailor had slain, he conceived a certain respect for the
little man. But first he thought he'd test him, so taking up a stone in
his hand, he squeezed it till some drops of water ran out. "Now you do
the same," said the giant, "if you really wish to be thought strong."
"Is that all?" said the little tailor; "that's child's play to me," so
he dived into his wallet, brought out the cheese, and pressed it till
the whey ran out. "My squeeze was in sooth better than yours," said he.
The giant didn't know what to say, for he couldn't have believed it
of the little fellow. To prove him again, the giant lifted a stone and
threw it so high that the eye could hardly follow it. "Now, my little
pigmy, let me see you do that." "Well thrown," said the tailor; "but,
after all, your stone fell to the ground; I'll throw one that won't come
down at all." He dived into his wallet again, and grasping the bird in
his hand, he threw it up into the air. The bird, enchanted to be free,
soared up into the sky, and flew away never to return. "Well, what do
you think of that little piece of business, friend?" asked the tailor.
"You can certainly throw," said the giant; "but now let's see if you can
carry a proper weight." With these words he led the tailor to a huge oak
tree which had been felled to the ground, and said: "If you are strong
enough, help me to carry the tree out of the wood." "Most certainly,"
said the little tailor: "just you take the trunk on your shoulder; I'll
bear the top and branches, which is certainly the heaviest part." The
giant laid the trunk on his shoulder, but the tailor sat at his ease
among the branches; and the giant, who couldn't see what was going on
behind him, had to carry the whole tree,