Children Stories - The Elves And The Shoemaker

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THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

from Stories To Tell Children

Once upon a time there was an honest shoemaker, who was very poor. He
worked as hard as he could, and still he could not earn enough to keep
himself and his wife. At last there came a day when he had nothing left
but one piece of leather, big enough to make one pair of shoes. He cut
out the shoes, ready to stitch, and left them on the bench; then he said
his prayers and went to bed, trusting that he could finish the shoes on
the next day and sell them.

Bright and early the next morning, he rose and went to his work bench.
There lay a pair of shoes, beautifully made, and the leather was gone!
There was no sign of anyone having been there. The shoemaker and his
wife did not know what to make of it. But the first customer who came
was so pleased with the beautiful shoes that he bought them, and paid so
much that the shoemaker was able to buy leather enough for two pairs.

Happily, he cut them out, and then, as it was late, he left the pieces
on the bench, ready to sew in the morning. But when morning came, two
pairs of shoes lay on the bench, most beautifully made, and no sign of
anyone who had been there. The shoemaker and his wife were quite at a
loss.

That day a customer came and bought both pairs, and paid so much for
them that the shoemaker bought leather for four pairs, with the money.

Once more he cut out the shoes and left them on the bench. And in the
morning all four pairs were made.

It went on like this until the shoemaker and his wife were prosperous
people. But they could not be satisfied to have so much done for them
and not know to whom they should be grateful. So one night, after the
shoemaker had left the pieces of leather on the bench, he and his wife
hid themselves behind a curtain, and left a light in the room.

Just as the clock struck twelve the door opened softly, and two tiny
elves came dancing into the room, hopped on to the bench, and began to
put the pieces together. They were quite naked, but they had wee little
scissors and hammers and thread. Tap! tap! went the little hammers;
stitch, stitch, went the thread, and the little elves were hard at work.
No one ever worked so fast as they. In almost no time all the shoes were
stitched and finished. Then the tiny elves took hold of each other's
hands and danced round the shoes on the bench, till the shoemaker and
his wife had hard work not to laugh aloud. But as the clock struck two,
the little creatures whisked away out of the window, and left the room
all as it was before.

The shoemaker and his wife looked at each other, and said, "How can we
thank the little elves who have made us happy and prosperous?"

"I should like to make them some pretty clothes," said the wife, "they
are quite naked."

"I will make the shoes if you will make the coats," said her husband.

That very day they commenced their task. The wife cut out two tiny, tiny
coats of green, two weeny, weeny waistcoats of yellow, two little pairs
of trousers, of white, two bits of caps, bright red (for every one knows
the elves love bright colours), and her husband made two little pairs of
shoes with long, pointed toes. They made the wee clothes as dainty as
could be, with nice little stitches and pretty buttons; and by Christmas
time, they were finished.

On Christmas eve, the shoemaker cleaned his bench, and on it, instead of
leather, he laid the two sets of gay little fairy-clothes. Then he and
his wife hid away as before, to watch.

Promptly at midnight, the little naked elves came in. They hopped upon
the bench; but when they saw the little clothes there, they laughed and
danced for joy. Each one caught up his little coat and things and began
to put them on. Then they looked at each other and made all kinds of
funny motions in their delight. At last they began to dance, and when
the clock struck two, they danced quite away, out of the window.

They never came back any more, but from that day they gave the shoemaker
and his wife good luck, so that they never needed any more help.

Next: WHO KILLED THE OTTER'S BABIES?
Previous: THE TEN FAIRIES

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THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER