The Poor Shoemaker and the Elves

The Poor Shoemaker and the Elves 👞

In the old days, a poor shoemaker and his wife lived in a country.

The shoemaker was very old and could not work as much as he used to. The money he earned was just enough to feed them.

The shoemaker had only one piece of leather left. He prepared this last piece to make a pair of shoes the next day and put it on his workbench.

The next morning, he woke up early as always and looked at his workbench. Guess what he saw? A beautiful pair of finished shoes was standing there!

The shoes were so lovely that a customer who saw them immediately loved them. The customer bought them right away and paid well. The old shoemaker used the money to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes.

In the evening, he prepared the new leather and left it on the bench, just like before.

When he woke up in the morning, this time there were two pairs of shoes on the bench! The customers who came to the shop loved the shoes and bought them quickly. They paid the shoemaker a lot of money. The shoemaker was very happy! Now he could go to the market and buy lots of leather.

The shoemaker prepared the leather again in the evening, and he could guess what he would see the next morning. And it was true! When he woke up, this time there were four pairs of sparkling shoes on the bench.

Days passed by, and the poor shoemaker was no longer having money problems. He could buy as much leather as he wanted with the money he earned. He even started saving some money!

One day, the shoemaker said to his wife: "This is not right. We must find out who is helping us. The best idea is to hide here tonight and watch what happens."

His wife agreed.

The shoemaker prepared the leather and put it on the workbench. His wife lit a candle to light the room and placed it on the table.

When all was ready, the couple hid inside a large cupboard and waited.

Around midnight, they heard a little noise. Suddenly, the shop door opened! Two very cute little men, two elves, walked into the shop. They came to the workbench and started making shoes from the leather the shoemaker had left.

The elves finished their work just before dawn and quickly left the shop. The couple watched everything in amazement.

The next day, the shoemaker and his wife started thinking. They wanted to thank these little men who had helped them so much.

The shoemaker said to his wife: "The best thing is to make some beautiful clothes for the little men."

The wife liked the idea. They immediately started working. They made tiny clothes and little shoes just for the elves.

The next night, the shoemaker did not leave cut leather on the bench. Instead, he left the gifts they had prepared. The couple lit a candle and hid inside the cupboard again.

A little later, the door opened. The little men came to the bench and noticed the gifts!

They started dancing with joy! They took their presents and left the house, skipping and jumping. They understood that the old couple no longer needed their help.

The elves were never seen again, but thanks to the little men, the shoemaker and his wife lived happily ever after with the money they earned. They never forgot the two little helpers.