The mayor brought his long sword that the king had given him, and the carpenter a hatchet, the blacksmith took his hammer, and the miller's son a gun; and the rest of the men whatever they could put their hands on.
The women went, too, with mops and brooms to drive the bear away should he run toward the town; and one little boy who had waked up in the stir followed after them with stones in his hands.
They very soon came to the wood, and then the question was who should go first.
"Let the tinker and the tailor lead the way," said the mayor, "and we will come close after."
"Oh, no, if you please, your honor," said the tinker and the tailor speaking at the very same time. "That will never do. We cannot think of going before you."
"I will go first if the mayor will lend me his sword," said the shoemaker.
"Aye, aye, let the shoemaker go," cried some.
"No, no, 'tis the mayor's place. The king gave the sword to him," said others.
"I could kill the bear while you are talking about it," said the miller's son.
Every one had something to say, but at last it was all settled and the miller's son with the mayor's sword by his side and his own gun in his hand was just slipping into the wood when out walked the old white sheep!