The Valiant Little Tailor
A poor tailor cuts the heads off flies with his scissors to impress a group of travelers, who are impressed by his bravery and offer him a reward. He then kills a giant using only his sword and returns home, where he marries a princess and becomes king after killing another giant.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1812 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Adventure, Fantasy · 3,933 words
First lines
One fine day a Tailor was sitting on his bench by the window in very high spirits, sewing away most diligently, and presently up the street came a country woman, crying, "Good jams for sale! Good jams for sale! " This cry sounded nice in the Tailor's ears, and, poking his diminutive head out of the window, he called, "Here, my good woman, just bring your jams in here! " The woman mounted the three steps up to the Tailor's house with her large basket, and began to open all the pots together before him. He looked at them all, held them up to the light, smelt them, and at last said, "These jams seem to me to be very nice, so you may weigh me out two ounces, my good woman; I don't object even if you make it a quarter of a pound. " The woman, who hoped to have met with a good customer, gave him all he wished, and went off grumbling, and in a very bad temper.
What this Textopian page supports
The Valiant Little Tailor is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1812 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Date: 1812 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Folklore
- Length: 3,933 words
- Structure: 1 section, 33 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Valiant Little Tailor by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Valiant Little Tailor?
- How does this fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- Oh If I Could But Shiver by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
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- Sweet Porridge by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Jew Among The Thorns by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features fantastical elements, moral lessons, and a protagonist who overcomes challenges through wit and bravery, typical of fairy tales.
- Adventure — The narrative follows the protagonist on a journey filled with challenges, encounters with giants, and quests, characteristic of adventure stories.
- Fantasy — The presence of giants, a unicorn, and other mythical elements places the story within the fantasy genre.
- Comedy — The tailor's cleverness and the humorous situations he finds himself in, such as tricking the giants, add a comedic element to the story.
Tags
Fairy Tale · German Folklore · Short Story · Humor · Satire · Bravery · Pride · Hubris · Consequences · Morality · Cautionary Tale · Coming of Age