勇敢的小裁缝

文/From+howstuffworks.com+译/程天淇

One morning， a little tailor sat in his shop. He bent over his work， sewing as he always did this time of day. Suddenly the tailor had a taste for raspberry1） jelly. He took out a loaf of bread， and cut a big slice from it. Before eating his snack he wanted to sew a few more stitches. When he finished， he saw a swarm of flies buzzing around his tasty jelly. The little man waved the flies away with his hand. But they flew right back.

The tailor grabbed a piece of cloth and growled2）， "Now I'll let you have it！" The cloth burst through the air as the tailor beat at the buzzing flies.

When he lifted the cloth away， seven flies lay dead on the table. "The whole world should know of my skill！" said the tailor. He cut a belt just his size. With his finest thread， he sewed these words： "Seven in one blow！"

The tailor tied the red belt around his waist. "I feel the need for a big adventure！" he shouted.

The tailor looked for something useful to take with him on his big adventure. All he found was an old piece of cheese. He put it in his pocket. As he was locking the door， he heard a rustle3） in the bushes.

A bird was trapped among the thorns. The tailor gently pulled the bird from the bush and put it in his pocket. Then he set off to find adventure.

The tailor walked through town and up the side of a mountain. At the top， he met a giant. "Hello， Giant，" said the tailor with a bow. "I am on a big adventure. Will you join me？"

"A little man like you on a big adventure？" rumbled4） the giant. For an answer， the tailor showed the giant his belt. The giant read the words： "Seven in one blow！"

The giant， who was not very smart， thought that the belt meant seven men， not flies. He found it very hard to believe that this tiny tailor could kill seven men with one blow. So he decided to test the man's strength. "You must be very strong. Can you do this？" asked the giant. He picked up a stone and squeezed5） it until water dripped from the stone.

The tailor was obviously not as strong as the giant， but he was much cleverer. "Watch this，" the little tailor said as he took something from his pocket. The giant thought it was a stone， too， but it was actually the piece of cheese. The tailor squeezed it in his hand until liquid dripped from his palm.

The giant raised his eyebrows. "Well， can you do this？" he asked. He picked up another stone and tossed it high into the air. It flew almost out of sight.endprint

"Watch this，" the tailor said as he took something from his pocket. It was the bird， of course. With a toss of his hand， the tailor sent the little bird flying. Pretty soon the bird was out of sight. In fact， it never came down！

This did not convince the giant， though. He was a poor loser. "If you are so strong， help me carry this tree，" the giant ordered.

Once again， the tailor knew he was not as strong as the giant. He quickly came up with an idea. The tailor walked to the leafy end of the fallen oak. "I will carry the branches，" he said. "I wouldn't want them to scratch6） you. Besides， it is no trouble for one who can kill seven at one blow."

The giant lifted the tree trunk onto his shoulder. He could not see the tailor at the other end. The tailor knew this. He hopped7） into the branches and let the giant do all the work.

When the giant stopped to rest， the tailor jumped out and pretended to be carrying the leafy end of the tree. When the giant looked back at the tailor， he saw that he was not even tired！

"Perhaps you would like to come home with me and meet my friends，" the giant said with an evil gleam8） in his eye.

"Certainly，" the clever tailor replied.

The giant took the tailor to his cave. A group of giants sat around a roaring fire. They watched as their friend lead the little man into the cave.

"You can sleep here，" said the giant pointing to a giant-size bed. "Even a man who can kill seven in one blow needs to rest！"

The tailor was not used to sleeping in such a big bed. So he slept in a corner instead. It was good for him that he did. During the night， the giants pounded on the bed with clubs9）， until they thought they had taken care of10） the pesky11） tailor.

In the morning， the giants went swimming in the river. They joked about the strange man and his silly belt. When the tailor walked up whistling a merry tune， the giants were so afraid that they ran away without their clothes！

一日清晨，一个小裁缝坐在他的店铺里，弯腰缝着手里的活儿，就和平常每天这个时候一样。突然，小裁缝想吃覆盆子果酱了。他拿出一长条面包，切了一大片下来。在吃之前他想再多缝几针。等他缝完，只见一群苍蝇正围着他那美味的果酱嗡嗡直飞。小裁缝摆摆手，把苍蝇赶走了。但它们马上又飞了回来。

小裁缝抓起一块布，大吼道：“现在我要让你们尝尝我的厉害！”他抡起布就朝那些嗡嗡作响的苍蝇打去，那块布飕的一声从空中划过。

他把布拿开后，只见七只苍蝇横尸桌上。“全世界都应该知道我的本事！”小裁缝说。他按自己的尺寸裁了一条腰带，并用最好的线在腰带上绣了这几个字：“一下打死七个！”

小裁缝把这条红腰带系在腰间。“我觉得有必要出去好好闯一闯啦！”他大喊。

小裁缝四下搜寻了一番，想找些有用的东西带着，和他一起去闯荡世界。结果他只找到了一块放了很久的奶酪。他把奶酪放进了口袋里。就在他锁门时，他听到灌木丛中传来一阵沙沙声。

一只鸟被困在了灌木丛里。小裁缝轻轻地将那只鸟从灌木丛里拽了出来，把它放进了口袋里，然后就出发去闯荡世界了。endprint

小裁缝穿过城镇，爬上了一座大山。在山顶，他遇见了一个巨人。“你好，巨人，”小裁缝鞠了一躬说道，“我在闯荡世界。你要加入吗？”

“就你这么个小不点儿还去闯荡世界？”巨人用低沉的声音说。小裁缝把他的腰带给巨人看，以此作为回答。巨人念道：“一下打死七个！”

这个巨人不是很聪明，他以为腰带上说的是七个人，而不是七只苍蝇。这个小裁缝竟然能一下杀死七个人，他觉得这简直难以置信。因此，他决定要看看小裁缝的力气有多大。“你一定非常有力。你能做到这个吗？”巨人问道。他捡起一块石头，使劲捏它，直到有水从里面滴下来。

小裁缝显然没有巨人力气大，但他要比巨人聪明得多。“看这个。”小裁缝边说边从口袋里掏出个东西。巨人以为那也是一块石头，但实际上是那块奶酪。小裁缝把它放在手里使劲挤压，直到有液体从他的手掌里滴下来。

巨人扬了扬眉毛，有些惊讶。“好吧，那你能做到这个吗？”他问。他捡起另一块石头，向空中用力一抛，石头飞得很高，几乎消失在视线之外。

“瞧这个。”小裁缝边说边从口袋里掏出个东西。当然，就是那只鸟。他用手那么一扔，就把小鸟放飞了。很快，那只鸟就不见了踪影。实际上，它永远也不会落下来！

不过，这还是没能让巨人服气。他是个输不起的人。“如果你那么有力气，那就帮我搬这棵树吧。”巨人命令道。

和前两次一样，小裁缝知道他不如巨人有力气。他很快就想到了一个主意。小裁缝走到那棵倒在地上的橡树的树冠那头。“我来扛树枝，”他说，“我可不想让它们划伤你。而且，这事儿对一个一下杀死七个的人来说就是小菜一碟。”

巨人举起树干，扛上肩头。他看不见在橡树另一头的小裁缝。小裁缝知道他看不见自己，便跳进树枝里，让巨人把扛树的活儿都干了。

当巨人停下来准备休息时，小裁缝就跳出来，假装正扛着树冠那头。巨人回头看小裁缝时，发现他竟然一点儿也不累！

“或许你愿意和我一起回家，见见我的朋友们。”巨人说着，眼里闪过一丝邪恶。

“当然。”聪明的小裁缝回答。

巨人带着小裁缝来到了他的山洞。一群巨人围坐在一个烧得很旺的火堆旁，看着他们的朋友领着一个小不点儿进了山洞。

“你可以睡在这儿，”巨人指着一张巨大的床说，“即使是一下杀死七个的人也需要休息！”

小裁缝不习惯睡在这么大的一张床上，所以就睡在了一个角落里。他这么做可真是帮了自己大忙了。夜里，巨人们用棍棒对着那张床一顿猛打，直到他们觉得已经干掉了这个讨厌的小裁缝。

第二天早上，巨人们去河里游泳。他们拿小裁缝这个陌生人和他那愚蠢的腰带开着玩笑。当小裁缝吹着口哨、哼着快乐的小曲走过来时，巨人们都吓坏了，衣服都来不及穿就跑掉了！

1. raspberry [?rɑ?zb?ri] n. 覆盆子，一种悬钩子属植物的浆果（常呈红色或紫色）

2. growl [ɡra?l] vt. 粗暴（或气冲冲）地说

3. rustle [?r?sl] n. 沙沙声，簌簌声

4. rumble [?r?mbl] vt. 声音低沉地说出（或发出）

5. squeeze [skwi?z] vt. 挤取；用力挤压

6. scratch [skr?t?] vt. 抓伤

7. hop [h?p] vi. <口>跳；弹跳

8. gleam [ɡli?m] n. 闪现；瞬息的一现

9. club [kl?b] n. 棍棒

10. take care of： <俚>殴打；杀死

11. pesky [?peski] adj. <美口>恼人的，讨厌的endprint