The Tailor in Heaven
Introduction
'The Tailor in Heaven' (folklorists number it ATU 800) is a light, humorous 'religious comedy' among the Grimm tales. In a homely, even playful tone it brings the God, Saint Peter, and Heaven of Western Christianity into a folk story: the Lord goes out to enjoy the heavenly garden and tells Saint Peter to guard the gate; Peter, softened by pity, lets in a lame tailor, who seizes the chance to climb onto the golden throne from which the Lord can see everything on earth. The joke and the lesson are both plain: the moment the tailor spies an old woman below quietly stealing two veils, he hurls the golden footstool down at her—and when the Lord returns he names the point exactly: 'If I judged as hastily as you, I'd long ago have thrown down every chair and bench in Heaven.' That is the heart of the tale: real mercy and real judgment require patience and room for grace, not a rush to condemn. It is worth knowing that the 'tailor' is a stock comic figure in German folklore—nimble-fingered, boastful, and a little too fond of the small scraps of cloth he snips (something you also see in 'The Brave Little Tailor'). The Grimms wrote several such tales that picture Heaven in a lively, comic way. As you read, ask your child: is the tailor right to punish others so harshly the moment they do wrong? And what would the Lord's kind of patience do instead?
Vocabulary from "The Tailor in Heaven"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
In Christianity, the twelve close followers whom Jesus sent out to spread his teachings.
（基督教中的）使徒；耶稣的十二门徒。
The good God wished to enjoy himself in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints with him.
仁慈的上帝想到天堂的花园里散散心，他带走了所有的使徒和圣人。
Permission to enter a place.
准许进入；入场（许可）。
I am a poor, honest tailor who prays for admission.
我是一个贫穷诚实的裁缝，请求获准进入。
A wooden frame once used to hang criminals as a punishment.
绞刑架。
"Honest indeed," said Peter, "like the thief on the gallows!"
'诚实个鬼，'彼得说，'就像绞刑架上的小偷一样！'
Kind and forgiving toward someone you could punish.
仁慈的；宽容的；有怜悯之心的。
"Come, do be merciful," cried the tailor.
'噢，求求你发发慈悲吧，'裁缝喊道。
Small leftover bits or pieces of something.
碎片；零头；边角料。
Little scraps which fall off the table of their own accord are not stolen, and are not worth speaking about.
那些从桌上掉下来的碎布头不是偷来的，根本不值一提。
Unable to walk normally because of an injured or weak leg or foot.
瘸的；跛的；行走不便的。
Look, I am lame, and have blisters on my feet with walking here, I cannot possibly turn back again.
你看，我是个跛子，脚上因为走到这里都起了水泡，我没法往回走了。
Small painful swellings on the skin, filled with liquid, caused by rubbing or burning.
水泡；燎泡。
As he had torn shoes, and feet covered with blisters, he took a stick in his hand.
裁缝穿着破鞋，脚上长满水泡，他手里拿根棍子。
To mend a hole or torn place by covering it with a piece of material.
打补丁；缝补。
I will carry the children, and wash their clothes... and patch all their torn clothes.
我可以抱孩子、洗衣服……补好他们所有撕破的衣服。
A strong wish to know or learn about something.
好奇心；求知欲。
He got up, and full of curiosity, went round about into every corner of heaven.
他站了起来，满心好奇地逛遍了天堂的每一个角落。
A low stool for resting your feet on while sitting.
搁脚凳；脚凳。
Likewise it was much higher than the other chairs, and a footstool of gold was before it.
它比其他椅子高得多，前面还有一个金凳子。
A dishonest or tricky man (old-fashioned); a rascal.
无赖；狡诈之徒（旧式说法）。
"Oh, thou knave," said the Lord, "were I to judge as thou juggest, how dost thou think thou couldst have escaped so long?"
'噢，你这无赖，'上帝说，'如果我像你那样审判，你觉得你能逃过这么久吗？'
People who do things that are morally or religiously wrong.
罪人；作恶者。
I should long ago have had no chairs, benches, seats... but should have thrown everything down at the sinners.
我早就没有椅子、长凳、座位……全都会砸向罪人们。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Judging others calls for patience and mercy; we should not rush to punish at the first sight of a fault, for true justice usually leaves room for grace.
Educational Value
Through a humorous story, it leads children to weigh mercy against a rush to judge, and to learn to understand a situation before drawing conclusions; it also offers a glimpse of Western folk-Christian culture.
Tips for Parents
This is a comic folk tale with a Christian setting—use it as a window onto another culture; focus the discussion with your child on 'should we be quick to punish others,' rather than on religion itself.
Talk About It
- The moment the tailor sees the old woman steal the veils, he angrily throws the golden footstool down. Was he right, or too impulsive?
- The Lord says, 'If I punished as hastily as you, I'd have thrown down every chair and bench long ago.' What does he mean?
- Saint Peter was ordered to let no one in, yet out of pity he let the tailor enter. Do you think he did the right thing?
- The tailor should never have sat on the throne—it was curiosity that led him where he shouldn't go. Is curiosity a good thing, or can it cause trouble?
- In real life, when you see someone do something wrong, do you get angry and want to punish them at once, or find out more and give them a chance?
