The Bright Sun Brings It to Light

A tailor’s apprentice was traveling around the world looking for work. At one time he could find none, and he was so poor that he didn’t have a single coin to buy food. Soon he met a Jew on the road, and because he thought the Jew must have a lot of money, the tailor forgot all about what is right and wrong.

He attacked the Jew and said, "Give me your money, or I will kill you!" The Jew begged, "Let me live. I have no money except eight farthings." But the tailor did not believe him. He beat the Jew violently until he was near death.

As the Jew lay dying, his last words were, "The bright sun will bring it to light." Then he died. The tailor searched his pockets but found only eight farthings, just as the Jew had said.

He picked up the body and carried it behind a clump of trees, then went on his way to look for work.

After traveling for a long time, he found work in a town with a master who had a pretty daughter. He fell in love with her, married her, and they lived happily together. Many years later, when they had two children, the wife’s parents died, so the young couple kept house alone.

One morning, the husband sat at the table by the window. His wife brought him his coffee. He poured some into the saucer and was about to drink when the sun shone on it. The reflection flickered on the wall above, making circles of light.

The tailor looked up and said, "Yes, it would like very much to bring it to light, but it cannot!" His wife asked, "Oh, dear husband, what do you mean?" He answered, "I must not tell you." But she begged him, "If you love me, you must tell me." She promised never to tell anyone, and she would not leave him alone.

So he told her how years ago, when he was traveling, poor and penniless, he had killed a Jew. The Jew’s last words had been, "The bright sun will bring it to light." And now the sun had tried to bring it to light, gleaming and making circles on the wall, but it could not.

He made her promise never to tell, or he would lose his life. She promised.

But as soon as he sat down to work again, she went to her best friend and told her the whole story, asking her never to repeat it. Within two days, the whole town knew. The tailor was brought to trial and condemned. And so, after all, the bright sun did bring it to light.