Once upon a time, there was a proud princess. She would set a riddle to any man who came to woo her. If he couldn't guess it, he was mocked and sent away. She declared that whoever solved her riddle could marry her, regardless of his status.
Three tailors decided to try their luck. The two eldest were confident in their success, given their fine sewing skills. The third was a young, seemingly careless fellow who barely knew his trade but hoped for luck. The older tailors told him to stay home, but the young tailor was determined and set off confidently.
They presented themselves to the princess. She asked, "I have two kinds of hair on my head. What colors are they?"
The first guessed, "Black and white, like pepper-and-salt cloth." The princess said he was wrong.
The second guessed, "Brown and red, like my father's coat." Again, wrong.
The young tailor stepped forward and said, "Silver and gold." The princess turned pale, for he was correct. She had been sure no one could guess.
Recovering, she said, "This doesn't grant you marriage yet. First, you must spend the night in the stable with a bear. If you're alive in the morning, you may marry me." She intended to be rid of him, as no one had survived the bear. Undaunted, the tailor cheerfully agreed.
That evening, he was taken to the bear's den. The bear advanced, but the tailor calmly took walnuts from his pocket, cracked them with his teeth, and ate the kernels. The bear, wanting some, was given pebbles instead. Try as he might, the bear couldn't crack them.
"Crack these for me!" said the bear. The tailor took the pebbles, deftly substituted a walnut, and cracked it open. The bear, thinking it looked easy, tried again with more pebbles and failed.
Next, the tailor took out a fiddle and played a tune. The bear began to dance and enjoyed it immensely. "Is it hard to play?" asked the bear. "Child's play," said the tailor, demonstrating. "Could you teach me?" "Gladly," said the tailor, "but your claws are too long. Let me trim them." He fetched a vice, screwed the bear's paws into it, and said, "Wait for the scissors." Then he left the bear growling and went to sleep on some straw.
The princess, hearing the growls, assumed the bear had killed the tailor and was pleased. In the morning, she found the tailor safe and sound outside the stable. Bound by her public promise, she had to marry him.
As they rode to church in a carriage, the two jealous older tailors went and unscrewed the bear. Enraged, the bear chased the carriage. The princess cried out in terror. With great presence of mind, the tailor stood on his head, stuck his legs out the window, and shouted, "See this vice? Leave or I'll screw you back in!" The bear saw it, turned, and ran away.
The tailor proceeded calmly to the church, married the princess at the altar, and they lived happily ever after.