9. The Tailor in Heaven
10. The Wise Servant

The Tailor in Heaven
(Der Schneider im Himmel)

One very fine day it came to pass that God wished to enjoy himself in the heavenly garden and took all the holy ones with him, so that no one stayed in heaven but the janitor. God had commanded him to let no one in during his absence, so the janitor stood by the door and kept watch. Before long someone knocked. The janitor asked who was there, and what he wanted? "I am a poor, honest tailor who prays to be let in," replied a smooth voice.

"Honest indeed," said the janitor, "honest like the thief on the gallows! You won't get into heaven for now, for God has forbidden me to let anyone in while he is out."

"Be merciful," cried the tailor. "Look, I have blisters on my feet with walking here. I can patch all the torn clothes inside, you know."

The janitor opened the door of heaven just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip his lean body in. He was to sit down quietly in a corner behind the door until God returned. The tailor agreed, but once when the janitor went outside the door, he got up. Full of curiosity he went round about into every corner of heaven and inspected of every place. At last he came to a spot where many beautiful and delightful chairs were standing, and in the middle was a seat of gold. The seat was set with shining jewels, and was much higher than the other chairs. A footstool of gold was before it. It was God's seat when he was at home. From it, he could see everything that happened in heaven and on earth.

The tailor stood still and looked at the seat for a long time, for it pleased him better than all else. At last he could master his curiosity no longer, and climbed up and seated himself in the chair. Then he saw everything which was happening on earth, and observed an ugly old woman who was standing washing by the side of a stream, secretly laying two veils on one side for herself. The sight of this made the tailor so angry that he laid hold of the golden footstool and threw it down at the old thief through heaven. But now he found he could not bring the stool back again, so he slipped quietly out of the chair, seated himself in his place behind the door and behaved as if he had never stirred from the spot.

When God came back again with his companions, he did not see the tailor behind the door,. But when he seated himself on his chair the footstool was missing. He asked the janitor what had become of the stool, but he did not know. Then God asked if he had let anyone come in.

"I know of no one who has been here," answered the janitor, "but a lame tailor, who is still sitting behind the door."

Then God had the tailor brought before him and asked him if he had taken away the stool, and where he had put it. "In my anger I threw it down to earth at an old woman whom I saw stealing two veils at the washing," said the tailor

"Now then," said God. "If I should judge as clumsily as you do, how do you think you could have escaped so long? I should long ago have had no chairs, benches, seats, nay, not even an oven-fork, but should have thrown everything down at the sinners.

[Retold]

The Wise Servant
(Der kluge Knecht)

A servant was once sent out by his master to seek a lost cow. He stayed away a long time, and the master thought, "My faithful servant John does not spare any pains over his work!"

But as the servant did not come back at all, the master got afraid that some misfortune had befallen him, and set out himself to look for him. He had to search for a long time, but at last he found the boy who was running up and down a large field.

"Now, John," said the master when he had got up to him, "have you found the cow that I sent you to seek?"

"No, master," he answered, "I haven't found the cow, but then I have not looked for it, for I have found three blackbirds. I see one of them, I hear the other, and I am running after the third," answered the boy.

❖ How fortunate is the master who has a wise servant who listens to his orders and does a lot as he is asked to do without delay and whims in his head! [Retold]