The Elves and the Shoemaker

There was once a shoemaker who was very poor. He worked hard, but he could not save any money.One evening he had just enough leather left for one last pair of shoes.He cut the leather carefully, laid it on his table, and went to bed. “I will sew the shoes tomorrow,” he said.

In the morning the shoes were already made, standing on the table, neat and perfect.The shoemaker turned them over in his hands. He could not think who had made them.A customer came in, loved the shoes at once, and paid more than the usual price.

Now there was money for leather for two pairs of shoes.Again the shoemaker cut the leather at night, and again the shoes were finished by morning.So it went on, day after day, until the shoemaker and his wife were no longer poor.

One cold night the wife said, “Let us stay awake and see who is helping us.”They left a candle burning and hid behind the coats in the corner.At midnight two tiny elves came in, with no clothes on at all.

They sat down at the bench and set to work, their little hands moving as quick as lightning.In no time every pair of shoes was finished. Then the elves jumped up and ran away.“They have made us rich,” said the wife. “Let us thank them with some warm clothes.”

She sewed two little shirts, coats, and pairs of stockings, and the shoemaker made two tiny pairs of shoes.That night the elves found the presents, put them on, danced round the room with joy, and skipped out of the door — and from then on the shoemaker was lucky in everything he did.