The Brave Little Tailor Flashcards
by The Brothers Grimm — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Brave Little Tailor
What event at the beginning of the story inspires the tailor to leave home?
He kills seven flies with a single blow of cloth while eating jam, then embroiders a belt reading "Seven at one stroke" and decides his workshop is too small for his newfound sense of valor.
What two items does the tailor take with him when he leaves home?
An old cheese and a bird that had caught itself in the thicket outside his door.
How does the tailor trick the giant in the stone-squeezing contest?
Instead of squeezing a stone, he squeezes the soft cheese from his pocket until liquid runs out, making the giant believe he crushed a stone.
How does the tailor win the stone-throwing contest against the giant?
He releases the bird from his pocket instead of throwing a stone. The bird flies away and never returns, making the giant believe he threw a stone so high it never came down.
How does the tailor avoid being killed by the giant in the cave at midnight?
He sleeps in a corner instead of the oversized bed. When the giant smashes the bed with an iron bar at midnight, the tailor is unharmed.
How does the tailor trick the two giants in the forest into killing each other?
He climbs a tree above them and drops stones on each sleeping giant in turn. Each thinks the other is hitting him, and they fight with such fury that they both die.
How does the tailor capture the unicorn?
He stands in front of a tree and dodges at the last moment. The unicorn charges and drives its horn deep into the trunk, trapping itself.
How does the tailor catch the wild boar?
He lures the boar into a chapel by running inside and then leaping out a window. The boar, too heavy to jump out, is trapped when the tailor shuts the door.
What reward does the King promise the tailor for defeating the two giants?
His only daughter in marriage and half of his kingdom.
How is the plot against the tailor at the end of the story foiled?
The King's armour-bearer warns the tailor. That night, the tailor pretends to sleep and loudly boasts of killing seven, two giants, a unicorn, and a boar, scaring away the servants sent to capture him.
Why does the giant initially look down on the tailor?
He sees the tailor as a "ragamuffin" and "miserable creature" -- a tiny, lowly tradesman unworthy of respect.
What motivates the King to set three impossible tasks for the tailor?
He regrets promising his daughter and half his kingdom, and hopes the dangerous tasks will get the tailor killed so he can avoid honoring his pledge.
Why do the King's soldiers demand to be dismissed?
They fear that if they quarrel with someone who kills "seven at one stroke," seven of them will die with every blow, and none can stand against him.
How does the young Queen discover her husband's true background?
She hears him talking in his sleep about making doublets and patching pantaloons, revealing he was a tailor, not a warrior.
What role does the King's armour-bearer play in the story?
He is friendly with the tailor and warns him about the King's plot to have him kidnapped at night, allowing the tailor to prepare a counter-strategy.
How does the story illustrate the theme that cleverness can triumph over brute strength?
Every challenge the tailor faces -- the giant, the two forest giants, the unicorn, the boar -- is overcome not through physical power but through quick thinking and resourceful tricks.
How does the theme of perception versus reality drive the entire plot?
Everyone misreads "Seven at one stroke" as referring to men, not flies. The tailor's entire rise from tradesman to king depends on this misperception never being corrected.
What does the story suggest about social mobility and class?
A lowly tailor rises to become king through wit and self-promotion, suggesting that cleverness and confidence can overcome the barriers of birth and social standing.
Is the tailor's self-confidence genuine or performative, and why does it matter?
It begins as genuine delight at killing seven flies but becomes a deliberate performance. His willingness to act the part is what makes others believe it and what sustains his rise.
What is the dramatic irony behind the inscription "Seven at one stroke"?
The audience knows the tailor killed seven flies, but every character in the story assumes he killed seven men, creating a gap between appearance and reality that drives the plot.
How does the Rule of Three structure the King's challenges?
The King sets exactly three tasks -- kill two giants, capture a unicorn, catch a wild boar -- following the fairy tale convention where the hero must complete three trials before earning the reward.
What narrative point of view is used, and how does it affect the reader's experience?
Third-person omniscient. The narrator reveals the tailor's tricks to the reader while other characters remain fooled, creating sustained dramatic irony and humor.
How does the tailor's belt function as a symbol throughout the story?
It transforms his identity from humble craftsman to feared warrior. The belt is a self-made symbol of reputation, showing that identity can be constructed through bold self-presentation.
What does "girdle" mean in the context of the story?
A belt or sash worn around the waist. The tailor stitches and embroiders one to display his boast of "Seven at one stroke."
What does "ragamuffin" mean when the giant uses it to describe the tailor?
A person in ragged, dirty clothes -- the giant uses it as an insult to mock the tailor's small, shabby appearance.
What does the word "valour" mean as the tailor uses it?
Great courage or bravery, especially in battle. The tailor ironically believes his workshop is too small for his "valour" after merely killing seven flies.
What is the significance of the tailor's line, "Boy, make me the doublet, and patch the pantaloons, or else I will rap the yard-measure over thine ears"?
Spoken in his sleep, it reveals his true identity as a tailor to his wife. Ironically, when he repeats it deliberately, it terrifies the servants into thinking he is threatening them.
What does the tailor mean when he says, "This won't taste bitter," about his bread and jam?
He is expressing simple pleasure that his jam-covered bread will taste sweet. This mundane moment of domestic contentment is the unlikely starting point for his entire grand adventure.
What does the closing line -- "the little tailor was a king and remained one, to the end of his life" -- convey about the story's resolution?
It confirms that the tailor's cleverness permanently elevated him. Despite every attempt to expose or remove him, his wit secured a lasting transformation from commoner to king.