Sir Buzz

Once upon a time a soldier died, leaving a widow and one son. They were terribly poor, and at last things got so bad that there was nothing left in the house to eat.

“Mother,” said the son, “give me four shillings, and I will go and seek my fortune in the wide world.”

“Oh dear,” said his mother, “how can I find four shillings, when I haven’t a penny to buy bread?”

“There’s Father’s old coat,” said the boy. “Look in the pocket. There might be something there.”

So she looked, and at the very bottom of the pocket she found six shillings!

“More than I asked for!” laughed the boy. “Look, Mother, these two shillings are for you. You can live on them until I come back. The rest will pay my way until I find my fortune.”

So he set off, and on the way he came upon a tigress licking her paw and moaning. He was just about to run away from the terrible creature when she called to him weakly, “Good boy, if you will pull this thorn out of my paw, I will be grateful to you forever.”

“Not me!” said the boy. “If it hurts when I pull it, you’ll knock me dead with one pat of your paw.”

“No, no!” cried the tigress. “I’ll turn my face to this tree, and when it hurts I’ll pat the tree instead.”

The boy agreed. He pulled out the thorn, and when the pain came, the tigress struck the tree so hard that the trunk split to pieces. Then she turned to him and said gratefully, “Take this box as a reward, my son. But do not open it until you have walked nine miles.”

The boy thanked her and set off with the box. But after five miles he was sure it was heavier than before, and with every step it grew heavier still. He struggled on until he had gone about eight and a quarter miles, and then he lost his patience. “That tigress must be a witch playing tricks on me,” he cried. “I won’t put up with this any longer. Lie there, you miserable old box! I don’t know what’s in you, and I don’t care!”

He threw the box on the ground. It burst open, and out stepped a little old man. He was only one span high, about as tall as a hand is wide from thumb to little finger, but his beard was a span and a quarter long and dragged on the ground. At once the little man began stamping about and scolding the boy for throwing the box down so roughly.

“Goodness me!” said the boy, trying not to laugh at the funny little figure. “You’re heavy for your size, old gentleman! And what might your name be?”

“Sir Buzz!” snapped the little man, still stamping with rage.

“Well,” said the boy, “if you’re all that was in the box, I’m glad I didn’t carry it any further.”

“That’s not polite,” snarled the little man. “If you’d carried it the full nine miles, you might have found something better. But never mind. I’m good enough for you, and I’ll serve you faithfully, as my mistress ordered.”

“Serve me? Then I wish you’d serve me some dinner, for I’m very hungry. Here are four shillings to pay for it.”

The moment the boy handed over the money, Sir Buzz shot through the air like a big bee, whiz! boom! bing! He landed in a sweet shop in the nearest town and stood beside the big pan of syrup, with his beard trailing on the floor. “Ho, ho! Sir Sweet-seller, bring me sweets!” he shouted at the top of his voice.

The sweet-seller looked round the shop, out of the door and down the street, but he could see no one, because tiny Sir Buzz was hidden behind the pan. “Ho, ho! Sir Sweet-seller, bring me sweets!” shouted Sir Buzz, louder still. When the man still could not see him, Sir Buzz lost his temper. He ran and pinched him on the legs and kicked his foot. “You rude fellow! Are you telling me you can’t see me? I’ve been standing by the pan all along!”

The sweet-seller begged his pardon and hurried to fetch his best sweets. Sir Buzz chose a huge heap, enough to fill a cart. “Quick, tie them up and put them in my hand,” he said. “I’ll carry them home myself.”

“They’ll be very heavy, sir,” said the sweet-seller with a smile.

“What business is that of yours?” snapped Sir Buzz. “Do as you’re told. Here’s your money.” And he jingled the four shillings in his pocket.

The man tied the sweets into an enormous bundle and put it on Sir Buzz’s tiny hand, expecting him to sink under the weight. But boom! bing! Off flew Sir Buzz, with the money still in his pocket.

Next he landed in a flour shop and stood behind a basket of flour. “Ho, ho! Sir Flour-seller, bring me flour!” he shouted. The flour-seller looked round the shop, out of the window and down the street, and saw nobody. So Sir Buzz flew into a rage, bit him on the leg, pinched him and kicked him. “You rude fellow! Don’t pretend you couldn’t see me! I was standing right beside you behind that basket!”

The flour-seller said he was very sorry and asked how much flour he wanted.

“Two big sacks,” said Sir Buzz, “no more, no less. Tie it up, and I’ll take it with me.”

“Your honour has a cart or a donkey with him, I suppose?” said the flour-seller. “That’s a heavy load.”

“What’s that to you?” screamed Sir Buzz, stamping his foot. “Isn’t it enough that I pay for it?” And he jingled the money again. So the flour-seller tied up the flour and put it on Sir Buzz’s hand, expecting it to crush him flat. But whiz! Off flew Sir Buzz, with the shillings still in his pocket.

The soldier’s son was just wondering where his little servant had gone when, whirr! Sir Buzz landed beside him. He mopped his face as if he were hot and tired. “I do hope I’ve brought enough,” he said, “but you humans do have such huge appetites!”

“More than enough, I should say,” laughed the boy, looking at the enormous bundles.

Then Sir Buzz cooked flat griddle cakes. The boy ate three of them and a handful of sweets, but Sir Buzz gobbled up all the rest, saying with every mouthful, “You humans have such huge appetites, such huge appetites!”

After that the boy and Sir Buzz travelled a long way, until they came to the King’s city. The King had a daughter called Princess Blossom, who was so lovely, so delicate and so slim that she weighed only five flowers. Every morning she was weighed in golden scales, and the scales always balanced at the fifth flower, never one more or one less.

One day the soldier’s son caught a glimpse of Princess Blossom, and of course he fell madly in love. He could not sleep or eat, and all day long he said to Sir Buzz, “Oh, dearest Sir Buzz, kind Sir Buzz, carry me to Princess Blossom so that I can see her and talk to her!”

“Carry you!” snapped Sir Buzz. “A likely story! You’re ten times bigger than me. You should carry me!”

But the boy begged and pleaded and grew pale and thin with longing, and Sir Buzz, who had a kind heart under all his grumbling, was sorry for him. He told the boy to sit on his hand, and boom! bing! boom! In a second they were inside the palace. It was night, and the Princess was asleep, but the booming woke her. She was frightened to see a handsome young man kneeling by her bed and began to scream, but she stopped when the soldier’s son, very politely and in the finest words, begged her not to be afraid. After that they talked about all sorts of delightful things, while Sir Buzz stood guard at the door. He even stood a brick on its end in front of him first, so that it would not look as if he were spying on them.

As dawn was breaking, the two young people grew tired of talking and fell asleep. “Now what?” said Sir Buzz to himself. “If my master stays here asleep, someone will find him and he’ll be put to death, as sure as my name is Buzz. But if I wake him, he’ll probably refuse to leave.” So without another thought he slid his hand under the bed, and bing! boom! he carried it, Princess and all, into a big garden outside the town. He set it down in the shade of the biggest tree, pulled up the next biggest tree by its roots, swung it over his shoulder and marched up and down on guard.

Soon the whole town was in an uproar, because Princess Blossom had vanished. Everyone came out to search for her, and before long the one-eyed Chief Constable rode up to the garden gate.

“What do you want?” shouted brave Sir Buzz, swinging the tree at him.

The tree’s branches blocked the Constable’s view, but he answered bravely, “I want Princess Blossom!”

“I’ll Blossom you! Get out of my garden!” shrieked Sir Buzz, and he beat the Constable’s pony so hard with the tree that it bolted and nearly threw its rider.

The Constable went straight to the King. “Your Majesty, I am sure the Princess is in your garden outside the town, because there is a tree there that fights terribly!”

So the King gathered all his horses and soldiers and marched to the garden. But Sir Buzz, hidden behind his tree, beat them all back, and they turned and ran. The noise of the battle woke the young couple, and they decided they could not live without each other, so when it was all over, the soldier’s son, Princess Blossom and Sir Buzz set off together to see the world.

The soldier’s son was so happy at winning the Princess that he said to Sir Buzz, “My fortune’s made now, so I shan’t need you any more. You can go back to your mistress.”

“Pooh!” said Sir Buzz. “Young people always think that. Still, have it your own way. But take this hair from my beard, and if you ever get into trouble, burn it in the fire, and I’ll come and help you.” And Sir Buzz boomed away.

The soldier’s son and Princess Blossom travelled on happily, until they got lost in a forest and wandered for days without food. When they were nearly starving, they met a man dressed as a Brahman, a priest, who heard their story and said, “You poor children! Come home with me, and I’ll give you something to eat.”

But he was not a Brahman at all. He was a terrible ogre who liked nothing better than to eat handsome young men and slender girls. The young couple knew nothing of this, so they went home with him quite cheerfully. He was very polite. “Please cook whatever you’d like to eat,” he said, “for I have no cook. Here are my keys. Open every cupboard except the one with the golden key. I’m going out to gather firewood.”

Princess Blossom began to cook, while the soldier’s son opened the cupboards. In them he found beautiful jewels and clothes, cups and plates, and bags and bags of gold and silver. Then, curious about the one forbidden cupboard, he said, “I will see what wonderful thing is hidden in the cupboard with the golden key.” He opened it, and it was full of bones! He ran back to the Princess. “We’re lost! We’re lost! He’s no priest, he’s an ogre!”

At that moment they heard the ogre at the door. Princess Blossom was very brave and kept her head. She just had time to throw the magic hair into the fire before the ogre burst in, with sharp teeth and fierce eyes. But at the very same moment they heard a noise in the air, boom! boom! bing!, coming nearer and nearer.

The ogre knew very well who his enemy was. He turned himself into pouring rain, hoping to drown Sir Buzz, but Sir Buzz turned into a storm wind and drove the rain back. Then the ogre turned into a dove, but Sir Buzz became a hawk and chased it so hard that it only just had time to turn into a rose and drop into the lap of King Indra, the king of the gods, who was sitting in his heavenly court listening to music. Quick as thought, Sir Buzz turned into an old musician. He stood beside the singer who was strumming the strings and said, “Brother, you’re tired. Let me play.”

He played so beautifully and sang so sweetly that King Indra said, “What reward shall I give you? Name anything you like, and it’s yours.”

“I only ask for the rose in your Majesty’s lap,” said Sir Buzz.

“I wish you had asked for more, or for less,” said King Indra. “It’s only a rose, but it fell from heaven. Still, it is yours.” He tossed the rose to the musician, and as it fell, its petals scattered on the ground. Sir Buzz dropped to his knees and gathered them up at once, but one petal escaped and turned into a mouse. Quick as lightning, Sir Buzz turned into a cat and gobbled the mouse up in one bite.

All this time, Princess Blossom and the soldier’s son were waiting in the ogre’s house, shivering and shaking. Suddenly, bing! boom! In flew Sir Buzz, the winner. He shook his head at them. “You two had better go home,” he said. “You’re not fit to look after yourselves.”

He gathered up all the jewels and gold in one hand, put the Princess and the soldier’s son in the other, and whizzed them home to the boy’s mother, who was still living on the two shillings and was overjoyed to see them. Then, with the loudest boom! bing! boom! of all, Sir Buzz flew out of sight without even waiting to be thanked, and nobody ever saw or heard of him after that.

But the soldier’s son and Princess Blossom lived happily ever after.

About this story

This tale comes from Tales of the Punjab, collected by Flora Annie Steel with notes by R. C. Temple (1894). Steel heard her stories from village people during the many years she lived in the Punjab, in what is now northern India and Pakistan.

The shape-changing battle near the end, in which hero and enemy turn into rain and wind, dove and hawk, rose, mouse and cat, is a favourite ending in folk tales from many parts of the world. A span, the measure used for Sir Buzz’s height, is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is spread wide.

Read the original: Flora Annie Steel, Tales of the Punjab (Project Gutenberg #6145)

Reading guidance: For ages 9–12 with an adult. The adventure includes threats of execution, an ogre’s cupboard of human bones, violent encounters and a princess carried away while asleep.

A closer reading

Sir Buzz repeatedly overturns expectations about size: he carries enormous loads and even a bed while looking too small to be noticed. His complaint about human appetites is especially comic because he eats almost all the food himself. The mismatch lies in his words and actions, not in small stature being a fault.

His loyalty is real but unevenly distributed. He bullies shopkeepers and takes their goods without paying, moves the sleeping princess without consulting her, and harms the pony while protecting the boy. Later the young couple chooses to travel together, but that choice does not erase the earlier intrusion into her room. A helper can be effective without being fair to everyone.

The final rescue depends on both the discovered bones and Princess Blossom’s prompt use of the beard-hair. Opening the forbidden cupboard gives necessary information, while she turns it into action. The weight of five flowers is a magical sign of delicacy, not a desirable body weight or a measure of worth.

Try this with the story

Draw the final transformations in paired columns: ogre and Sir Buzz. Explain what advantage each answering form has. Add the couple’s two contributions before the contest begins, so the rescue account includes observation and the princess’s action as well as the helper’s power.

Talk about it

• Why do you think the tigress told the boy not to open the box until he had walked nine miles?
• Sir Buzz is rude and bad-tempered, but is he a good friend? Why do you think so?
• Which of Sir Buzz’s changes in the shape-changing battle did you like best?

More stories like this

• The Bear’s Bad Bargain — another lively tale from Steel’s Tales of the Punjab
• Valiant Vicky The Brave Warrior — another Punjabi tale where a small hero wins against the odds
• The Match-Making Jackal — another Indian tale of a small helper who wins a princess for his poor friend