576 THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR.

of the well. But as he stooped down to drink, he forgot the
stone, and pushed it, so that it fell plurp into the water.
‘As soon as Hans saw it fall to the bottom, he sprang up for joy,
and then, kneeling down, he thanked God for his goodness with
tears in his eyes, that he had done him such a good act, and
had freed him, without his asking, from such a burden as
the stone was. “So lucky as I am, is no one else under the
son!” he exclaimed; and, springing up, he went straight
home to his mother.

 

THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR.

Ove summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his board
by the window, in very good spirits, sewing with all his might
and main, and presently a country-woman came up the street
crying, “ Good preserve.to sell! good preserve to sell!” This
sounded alluringly in the tailor’s ears, and stretching his soft
head out of the window, he called out,  Holloa, here, my good.
woman ; bring your goods to me.” The woman came up the
three steps with the heavy basket on her shoulders, and began
to unpack the pots before the tailor. He looked at them all,
and held them up to the light, and put his nose to them ; and
at last he said, “The preserve appears to me to be good, so
weigh me up four half-ounces, my good woman ; but if there is
a quarter of a pound I shall not care.” The woman, who had
hoped to have found a good customer, gave him what he asked
and went away grumbling and dissatisfied. “Now God shall
give me a blessing on the preserve,” said the tailor, “so that it