15 March 2012

The Shoemaker And The Elves


There was once a shoemaker who worked very hard and was very honest: but still could not earn enough to live, and eventually all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make a pair of shoes.

Then he cut off his skin, all ready to do the next day, which means getting up early in the morning for his work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his problems, so he went to sleep in peace, he left all his cares to heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning, after saying his prayers, he sat at his work, when, to his astonishment, there stood the shoes all ready on the table. The good man did not know what to say or think something strange happens. He looked at the process: there was a false floor in the whole work, everything was so clean and true, which was quite a masterpiece.

The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well, which I gladly paid a higher price than usual for them, and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, he could get up and start time for the next day, but was saved every problem, because when you get up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand. Soon came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his products, so he bought leather for four pairs more. He cut the work again overnight and found it did in the morning, as before, and so it went on for some time: that he was preparing for the night was always done at dawn, and the good man became well soon thriving and prosperous again.
One evening, about Christmas time, while he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, said: 'I'd sit and watch tonight, we can see that it is going and my work. For me 'The wife liked the thought, because they left a light burning, and hid in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hanging up there, watching what would happen.
As soon as it was midnight, there came in two dwarves naked and sat on the bench of the shoemaker, occupied all the work that has been cut, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rap and tapping away at this rate, which The shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take my eyes off them. And on they went, until the work was well done, and the shoes were ready for use on the table. This was well before dawn, and then ran away as fast as lightning.
The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. 'They made us rich spectra small, and we must be grateful to them and make them a good time if we can. I'm quite sorry to see them run as they do, and in fact it is very decent, for they have nothing on their shoulders to keep out the cold. I'll tell you what, I will do each of them a shirt and a jacket and vest, and a pair of pants to boot, and you make each of them a little pair of shoes'.
The happy thought very good evening, and a shoemaker, when all things were ready, put them on the table, the workplace are used to cut, and then went and hid themselves, to see what the little elves would do.
About midnight they came in, dancing and jumping, hopping around the room, and then went to sit at their work as usual, but when they saw the clothes are for them, they laughed and giggled, and seemed very happy.

Then he dressed in a blink of an eye, and danced and capered and sprang about, happy as could be, until at last they danced out the door, and let the green.

The good couple saw them more, but everything went well with them, from that time forward, until he lived.




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