One fine day, God decided to enjoy himself in the heavenly garden and took all the apostles and saints with him, leaving only Saint Peter behind. The Lord commanded Peter to let no one in during his absence, so Peter stood guard at the door.
Soon, someone knocked. Peter asked who it was and what they wanted. "I am a poor, honest tailor who begs for admission," replied a smooth voice. "Honest indeed," said Peter, "like the thief on the gallows! You have been light-fingered, snipping people's clothes. You will not enter heaven. The Lord has forbidden me to let anyone in while He is away."
"Please, be merciful," cried the tailor. "Little scraps that fall off the table on their own are not stolen and are not worth mentioning. Look, I am lame and have blisters on my feet from walking here. I cannot possibly turn back. Just let me in, and I will do all the rough work. I will carry the children, wash their clothes, clean the benches they play on, and patch their torn garments."
Saint Peter was moved by pity and opened the door just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip his lean body inside. He was told to sit quietly in a corner behind the door so the Lord would not see him and become angry upon His return. The tailor obeyed, but once when Peter stepped outside, he got up and, full of curiosity, explored every corner of heaven.
Eventually, he came to a place with many beautiful chairs. In the center was a magnificent golden throne adorned with shining jewels, much higher than the others, with a golden footstool before it. This was the Lord's seat, from which He could see everything on earth. The tailor stood and gazed at it for a long time, for it pleased him more than anything else.
Finally, he could no longer control his curiosity. He climbed up and sat on the throne. From there, he saw everything happening on earth and noticed an ugly old woman washing clothes by a stream, secretly setting aside two veils for herself. This sight angered the tailor so much that he seized the golden footstool and threw it down to earth at the old thief. Since he could not retrieve the stool, he quietly slipped out of the chair, returned to his spot behind the door, and acted as if he had never moved.
When the Lord returned with His heavenly companions, He did not see the tailor behind the door. But upon sitting on His throne, He noticed the footstool was missing. He asked Saint Peter what had happened to it, but Peter did not know. Then the Lord asked if he had let anyone in. "I know of no one," Peter replied, "except a lame tailor who is still sitting behind the door."
The Lord had the tailor brought before Him and asked if he had taken the stool and where he had put it. "Oh, Lord," the tailor answered joyously, "I threw it down to earth in my anger at an old woman I saw stealing two veils while washing."
"Oh, you knave," said the Lord. "If I were to judge as you judge, how do you think you could have escaped so long? I would long ago have had no chairs, benches, seats, nay, not even an oven-fork, but would have thrown everything down at the sinners. Henceforth, you can stay no longer in heaven but must go outside the door again. Then go where you will. No one shall give punishment here but I alone, the Lord."
Peter was obliged to take the tailor out of heaven again. Since the tailor had torn shoes and feet covered with blisters, he took a stick in his hand and went to "Wait-a-bit," where the good soldiers sit and make merry.