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The Brave Little Tailor: a book club kit
Where it comes from. People in Germany told this for hundreds of years before the Brothers Grimm wrote it down in 1812.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A little tailor swats seven flies in one blow and sews “Seven at one blow!” on his belt. People think he means seven men, so a king sends him to deal with a giant, a unicorn and a wild boar. The tailor uses his wits to beat them all. The king gives him half the kingdom and his daughter's hand.
The lesson, in one line. Quick wits and a brave heart can beat brute strength.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “Seven at One Blow” and Part Two, “The Giant on the Mountain”, pages 1–8 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The King's Tasks”, pages 9–15 (about 4 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: The Brave Little Tailor by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Brave Little Tailor?
The story's answer: Quick wits and a brave heart can beat brute strength. The tailor is small but outsmarts giants and beasts. - What were the seven in “Seven at one blow”?
The story's answer: Seven flies. The tailor swatted them off his jam and bread, and people who read his belt thought he meant seven men. - Who wrote The Brave Little Tailor?
The story's answer: The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, wrote it down in Germany in 1812. People had told it for a long time before that. - How does the tailor trick the giant?
The story's answer: He lets the giant carry the heavy tree trunk while he rides up in the branches, whistling, so the giant thinks the tailor is helping him carry it. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change.
Did you know?
- People in Germany told it for hundreds of years before the Brothers Grimm wrote it down in 1812.
- It is also called The Valiant Little Tailor.
- Everyone thinks the belt means seven men, but the tailor means seven flies.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The tailor outwits a giant, a unicorn and a boar.
Words to teach before you start
- tailor: clothes maker
- swatted: slapped at
- astonished: very surprised
- unicorn: one-horned horse
- boar: wild pig
- chapel: small church
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Brave Little Tailor book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 9 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Brave Little Tailor for?
It is written at Peabody level 9, a grade 4 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Cinderella (level 9)
- Hansel and Gretel (level 9)
- Puss in Boots (level 9)
- Rumpelstiltskin (level 9)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (level 9)
- The Frog Prince (level 9)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.