The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Books) - Jacob Grimm [329]
At this the giant said to him: “Go, little ragamuffin, and fetch me a jug of water.” “Had I not better bring the well itself at once, and the spring too?” asked the boaster, and went with the pitcher to the water. “What! the well and the spring too,” growled the giant in his beard, for he was somewhat of a silly dolt, and began to be afraid. “That knave is not a fool, he has a mandrake in his body. Be on your guard, old Hans, this is no serving-man for you.” When the tailor had brought the water, the giant bade him go into the forest, and cut a couple of blocks of wood and bring them back. “Why not the whole forest, at once, with one stroke. The whole forest, young and old, with all that is there, both gnarled and smooth?” asked the little tailor, and went to cut the wood. “What! the whole forest, young and old, with all that is there, both gnarled and smooth, and the well and its spring too,” growled the credulous giant in his beard, and was still more terrified. “The knave can do much more than bake apples, and has a mandrake in his body. Be on your guard, old Hans, this is no serving-man for you!” When the tailor had brought the wood, the giant commanded him to shoot two or three wild boars for supper. “Why not rather a thousand at one shot, and bring them all here?” inquired the insolent tailor. “What!” cried the timid giant in great terror; “let well alone to-night, and lie down to rest.”
The giant was so terribly alarmed that he could not close an eye all night long for thinking what would be the best way to get rid of this accursed sorcerer of a servant. Time brings counsel. Next morning the giant and the tailor went to a marsh, round which stood a number of willow-trees. Then said the giant: “Listen, tailor, seat yourself on one of the willow-branches; I long of all things to see if you are big enough to bend it down.” All at once the tailor was sitting on it, holding his breath, and making himself heavy, so heavy that the bough bent down. When, however, he was compelled to draw breath, it hurled him (for unfortunately he had not put his goose in his pocket) so high into the air that he never was seen again, and this to the great delight of the giant. If the tailor has not fallen down again, he must still be hovering about in the air.
The Nail
A MERCHANT HAD done good business at the fair; he had sold his wares, and lined his money-bags with gold and silver. Then he wanted to travel homewards, and be in his own house before nightfall. So he packed his trunk with the money on his horse, and rode away.
At noon he rested in a town, and when he wanted to go farther the stable-boy brought out his horse and said: “A nail is wanting, sir, in the shoe of its near hind foot.” “Let it be wanting,” answered the merchant; “the shoe will certainly stay on for the six miles I have still to go. I am in a hurry.”
In the afternoon, when he once more alighted and had his horse fed, the stable-boy went into the room to him and said: “Sir, a shoe is missing from your horse’s near hind foot. Shall I take him to the blacksmith?” “Let it be wanting,” answered the man; “the horse can very well hold out for the couple of miles which remain. I am in haste.”
He rode forth, but before long the horse began to limp. It had not limped long before it began to stumble, and it had not stumbled long before it fell down and broke its leg. The merchant was forced to leave the horse where it was, and unbuckle the trunk, take it on his back, and go home on foot. And there he did not arrive until quite late at night. “And that cursed nail,” said he to himself, “has caused all this disaster.”
The more haste