The Elves and the Shoemaker

There once was a shoemaker who lived with his wife. He enjoyed his work very much and set up his shop inside their small house. But times were hard for the shoemaker and his wife.

Snowstorms had kept everyone indoors for weeks, so no one could buy any shoes. The shoemaker had little money for food, and he had only enough leather left to make one more pair of shoes.

His wife asked, “What are we to do? The cupboards are bare, and we have no firewood. Even our last candle has almost burned away.” Her voice was gentle. She knew her husband worked hard for what little they had.

“We must not worry,” said the shoemaker. “Things will work out for us. You’ll see, I will finish these shoes tomorrow, and someone will buy them.”

He cut out the leather and then went to bed. The shoemaker would finish working first thing in the morning.

When the shoemaker woke up early the next morning, the whole house was cold. His body shivered, and he was very tired. The shoemaker went to his workbench rubbing his tired eyes.

When he looked down, the shoemaker thought he would find the pieces of leather just as he had left them. What he saw instead made him rub his eyes again. A finished pair of shoes were on the workbench!
The shoemaker ran his hands over the shoes. Sure enough, they were made from the same leather that he had cut the previous night. The shoes were very beautiful! The shoemaker admired the tight, even stitching, the placement of the bows, and the silky shine of the leather.

He could not have made better shoes himself. The shoemaker called for his wife to come and look at the wonderful shoes. She was just as amazed as he was. “Who could have made these shoes?” she asked.

The shoemaker and his wife did not know who had given them such a wonderful gift. They did know that the shoes were worth a lot and would bring a good price.

“What a great day,” said the shoemaker. “We have a pair of shoes to sell, and the weather is finally clear. Maybe our good luck will continue and someone will buy these shoes.”

At that moment there was a knock on the door. It was a traveler who had seen the shoemaker’s sign. “I work for the king,” he explained, “and I have been traveling throughout the countryside. My travels have worn holes in my shoes. I was hoping that I could buy a pair from you.”
The traveler tried on the new shoes, and they fit his feet perfectly. He walked around the shop for a few moments and said, “These are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn.” Then he gave the shoemaker a shiny gold coin to pay for them.

With the gold coin the shoemaker had enough money to buy some things he really needed. He bought food, firewood, and enough leather to make two pairs of shoes. He also bought a wool shawl for his wife.

The couple was very thankful for their good luck, and they decided they would work harder than ever to keep it.
Once again, before he went to bed, the shoemaker cut the leather into pieces ready for sewing and placed them on his workbench. The next morning he found two more pairs of finished shoes. And they were just as good as the first pair!

Within hours the shoemaker sold both pairs of shoes and bought more leather. The next day there were four pairs of shoes waiting on the workbench. This continued for many nights, until the shoemaker’s shelves were filled with beautiful shoes like no one had ever seen before.

Life soon changed for the shoemaker. Now he and his wife always had wood for the fire and enough food to eat. The shoemaker bought better tools, lots of leather, and the best brass buckles. He bought his wife an oil lamp, a new blanket, and a lace cap.

The shoemaker was always kind to the people who traveled from all over the kingdom to buy his shoes. He could have charged high prices, but instead he charged just enough to live a comfortable life.
Word of the shoemaker’s fine shoes made him the most popular shoemaker in the land. He was very happy that his small shop was always filled with people, but still something bothered the shoemaker.

One evening he said to his wife, “Every night, while we are tucked in our beds, someone is working hard to help us. It’s a shame we don’t even know who it is. Why don’t we stay up to find out?”

That night the shoemaker cut the leather into pieces and placed them on his workbench. Just like always, he turned down the oil lamp and left the room. But instead of going to bed, he and his wife hid in the doorway.
The moon rose and filled the room with silver light. Soon something was moving on the workbench. Two elves were there! They stood just a few inches tall, no taller than the shoe they were sewing. The elves began to work, helping each other handle the leather and tools.

Their clothing was old and worn, which made the shoemaker and his wife sad. The elves wore thin, torn pants and shirts that were ripped and covered with patches. They were making shoes, but they didn’t have any for themselves.

They must have been cold, but their cheery faces and busy hands didn’t show it. The couple tiptoed off to bed, leaving the elves to do their work.

The next morning the shoemaker and his wife looked at the newly made shoes that were on the workbench, and they thought about the elves. “Did you see how quickly those little fellows worked together and how carefully they placed each stitch?” asked the shoemaker.

His wife frowned and answered, “I only saw their poor clothing and bare feet. Clearly they are in great need, yet they work all night to help us.”

Her husband agreed and said, “I have an idea! We will make those little elves the clothes they need! They are so tiny that it will be easy for me to make some fine shoes for them.”

His wife clapped her hands. “Yes! And I will use a bit of my wool shawl and a corner from our blanket to make proper pants and coats.” The couple started right away to make the two tiny suits of clothing.
The shoemaker and his wife finished making the outfits for the elves. That evening, instead of leaving pieces of leather on the bench, they left the clothes and shoes. Once again they hid behind the doorway and waited for the elves to come.
The elves appeared in the shoemaker’s house at midnight. They climbed up on the workbench then stopped in their tracks. What was this? Where were the pieces of leather and the tools?

The elves were amazed when they saw the clothes. At once they put on the fine new suits. They were so excited they began to sing:

These fine clothes fit us perfectly!

Who’d be so kind? We wish we knew!

We’d like to give our thanks to you!

The shoemaker and his wife were so pleased they could hardly keep themselves from cheering!

Weeks passed, and the shoemaker’s shop was always filled with people. He still offered the finest shoes in the land, and people from all around wanted a pair. He and his wife were very comfortable.

One thing had changed, though. The elves had not come back since the night they received their new suits of clothes. The shoemaker and his wife did not mind.

The shoemaker enjoyed his work and was happy to be back at his workbench. He and his wife were glad that they could help the elves who had worked so hard and had been so nice to them.
In the evenings, while the shoemaker cut leather at his bench and his wife baked bread, they thought about the two elves. Because of their kindness and hard work the shoemaker and his wife lived happily. Their cupboards were always filled, and their house was always warm.