On this an old duck, which was hidden among the reeds, began to scream loudly and swam to him with open beak, and begged him urgently to spare her dear children.
“Can you not imagine,” said she, “how your mother would mourn if any one wanted to carry you off, and give you your death blow?”
“Only be quiet,” said the good-tempered tailor; “you shall keep your children,” and he put the prisoner back into the water.
When he turned round, he was standing in front of an old tree which was partly hollow, and saw some wild bees flying in and out of it.
“There I shall at once find the reward of my good deed,” said the tailor; “the honey will refresh me.”
But the Queen-Bee came out, threatened him and said, “If you touch my people, and destroy my nest, our stings shall pierce your skin like ten thousand red-hot needles. But if you will leave us in peace and go your way, we will do you a service for it another time.”
The little tailor saw that here also nothing was to be done. “Three dishes empty and nothing on the fourth is a bad dinner!” He dragged himself therefore with his starved-out stomach into the town. It was just striking twelve, all was ready-cooked for him in the inn, and he was able to sit down at once to dinner.
When he was satisfied, he said, “Now I will get to work.”
He went round the town, sought a master, and soon found a good situation. As he had thoroughly learned his trade, it was not long before he became famous, and every one wanted to have a new coat made by the little tailor, whose importance increased daily.
“I can go no further in skill,” said he, “and yet things improve every day.”