Seven with One Blow

by Margy Ohring
(Virginia, USA)

Seven with One Blow

I was five and recovering from a terrible bout of Chicken Pox. In those days, no one could come back to school until every trace of a pock was gone. My mother believed that sunshine was good for clearing up the pox marks.

I was too small to just sit in the sun, so my mother read to me on the side of a road for days on end. She read a Little Golden Book called Seven with One Blow. It told the story of a tailor, who, plagued with flies, killed seven at once with piece of bread and jam. So proud was he that he put up a sign outside his shop proclaiming his talent "Seven with One Blow."

He was challenged by folks far and wide, and his ingenious ways to defeat these challengers made the book a delightful experience. I loved that book dearly for many years, but I always associate it with chicken pox and the grassy side of the road.

Margy Ohring is the author of the children's book, Cat-House Sonnets. Visit Margy's page on this site.

Webmaster's note: Folks, this is a very hard story to track down. If you search Amazon for Seven with One Blow, you'll find a 1994 stage adaptation of the story.

I am unable to find the Little Golden Books version Margy's mom read to her. I am able to find a Disney adaptation of the story that was made with Mickey Mouse as the tailor. This version is entitled, Brave Little Tailor.