The Tailor and His Coat – Storytelling for Everyone

Long ago in Russia, there was a poor tailor who spent his life making fine garments for others. He seldom had the time or money to make new clothes for himself. One day, he noticed his old coat had to be replaced because it was all worn out. He took a bolt of good, woolen fabric and made himself a brand new coat. It was a soft tweed in brown with flecks of gold and green.

He wore that coat, and wore that coat, and wore that coat until – like the coat before it – it was as all worn out. He liked the coat, so instead of throwing it away, he took it apart to make a jacket. He was able to wear that jacket even more than he had worn the coat. He wore it, and wore it and wore it until it was all worn out.

The tailor looked at the jacket and decided he could make something else with what was left. So, he took the jacket apart and made a fine vest. He wore that vest every day. He wore it, and wore it and wore it until it was all worn out.

When he examined the worn out vest, he saw that he could still make something from what was left. He took the vest apart and made a cap to keep his head warm. He liked the way he looked in that cap, so he wore it often. He wore it and wore it and wore it until, like everything he had made before, it was all worn out.

When he took the cap apart, he discovered he had just enough to make a bow tie. He never had a bow tie before. But when he put on that tie, he thought he looked handsome in it, so he wore it and wore it and wore it until it was all worn out.

He was about to throw the worn out tie when he took a look at what was left. He saw he had enough to make a nice cloth button. He sewed that button on his trousers to hold his suspenders. The tailor wore that button, and wore it and wore it until it was all worn out.

As he turned the worn out button over in his hand, he was surprised to see he had enough left…to make a story. And that’s the one I just told you!

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Source: Yiddish Folktale & Song, various retellings in song and text