The Sprightly Tailor

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A sprightly tailor was employed by the Great mac Donald
in his castle at Saddle in order to make the
laird a pair of trews used in olden time, and trews,
being the vest and breeches united in one piece and
ornamented with fringes, were very comfortable and suitable to be
worn in walking or dancing. And mac Donald had said
to the tailor that if he would make the trews

(00:22):
by night in the church, he would get a handsome reward,
for it was thought that the old ruined church was haunted,
and that fearsome things were to be seen there at night.
The tailor was well aware of this, but he was
a sprightly man, and when the laird dared him to
make the trews by night in the church, the tailor
was not to be daunted, but took it in hand

(00:42):
to gain the prize. So when night came away, he
went up the glen about half a mile distance from
the castle, till he came to the old church. Then
he chose him a nice gravestone for a seat, and
he lighted his candle and put on his thimble, and
set to work at the trews. Lying his needle nimbly,
and thinking about the higher that the laird would have

(01:04):
to give him. For some time, he got on pretty
well until he felt the floor all a tremble under
his feet, and looking about him, but keeping his fingers
at work, he saw the appearance of a great human
head rising up through the stone pavement of the church.
And when the head had risen above the surface, there

(01:24):
came from it a great, great voice, and the voice said,
do you see this great.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Head of mine?

Speaker 1 (01:31):
I see that, But also this, replied the sprightly tailor,
and he stitched away at the trews. Then the head
rose higher up through the pavement until its neck appeared.
And when its neck was shown, the thundering voice came
again and said.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Do you see this great neck of mine?

Speaker 1 (01:48):
I see that, But also this said the sprightly tailor,
as he stitched away at his trews. Then the head
and the neck rose higher still, until the great shoulders
and chests were shown and above the ground.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
And again the mighty voice thundered, do you see this
great chest of mine?

Speaker 1 (02:06):
And again the sprightly tailor replied, I see that, but
I'll sew this, and stitched away at his trews, and
still it kept rising through the pavement until it shook
a great pair of arms in the tailor's face and said,
do you see these great arms of mine? I see those,
but alsow, This answered the tailor, and he stipped hard

(02:27):
at his trews, for he knew that he had no
time to lose. The sprightly tailor was taking the long
stitches when he saw it gradually rising and rising through
the floor, until it lifted out a great leg, and
stamping with it upon the pavement, said in a roaring voice, do.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
You see this great leg of mine? Hi?

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Hi? I see that, But I'll sew this cried the tailor,
and his fingers flew with the needle, and he took
such long stitches that he was just come to the
end of the trews when it was taking up its
other leg. But before it could pull it out of
the pavement, the sprightly tailor had finished his task, and,
blowing out his candle and springing from off his gravestone,

(03:09):
he buckled up and ran out of the church with
the trews under his arm. Then the fearsome thing gave
a loud roar and stamped with both his feet upon
the pavement, and out of the church. He went after
the sprightly Tailor down the glen. They ran faster than
the stream when the flood rises it. But the Tailor
had got the start and a nimble pair of legs,

(03:32):
and he did not choose to lose the laird's reward.
And though the thing roared to him to stop, yet
the sprightly Tailor was not the man to be beholden
to a monster. So he held this truth tight, and
let no darkness grow under his feet until he had
reached saddle Castle. He had no sooner got inside the
gate and shut it than the apparition came up to it, and,

(03:54):
enraged at losing his prize, struck the wall above the gate,
and left there the mark of his five great fingers.
Ye may see them plainly to this day, if you'll
look only Pierre close enough. But the sprightly Tailor gained
his reward, for MacDonald paid him handsomely for the trus
and never discovered that a few of the stitches were

(04:15):
somewhat long. The Sprightly Tailor by Joseph Jacobs