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Title: Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Elves and the Shoemaker
Date of first publication: 1930
Author: Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)
Author: Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859)
Illustrator: Noel Pocock (1880-1955)
Date first posted: October 6 2012
Date last updated: October 6 2012
Faded Page eBook #20121009

This ebook was produced by: David Edwards, Delphine Lettau
& the Online Distributed Proofreading Canada Team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net

(This file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)




The Elves and the Shoemaker


There was once a shoemaker who worked very hard and was very honest;
but still he could not earn enough to live upon, and at last all he
had in the world was gone, except just leather enough to make one pair
of shoes. Then he cut them all ready to make up the next day, meaning to
get up early in the morning to work. His conscience was clear and his
heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left
all his cares to heaven, and fell asleep. In the morning, after he had
said his prayers, he set himself down to his work, when, to his great
wonder, there stood the shoes, all ready made, upon the table. The good
man knew not what to say or think of this strange event. He looked at
the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; and
all was so neat and true, that it was a complete masterpiece.

That same day a customer came in, and the shoes pleased him so well
that he willingly paid a price higher 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 that he might
get up and begin betimes next day: but he was saved all the trouble, for
when he got up in the morning the work was finished ready to his hand.
Presently in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that
he bought leather enough for four pairs more. He cut out the work again
overnight, and found it finished in the morning as before; and so it went
on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by
day-break, and the good man soon became thriving and prosperous again.

One evening about Christmas time, as he and his wife were sitting over
the fire chatting together, he said to her, "I should like to sit up and
watch to-night, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work
for me." The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and
hid themselves in the corner of the room behind a curtain that was hung
up there, and watched what should happen.

As soon as it was midnight, there came two little naked dwarfs; and
they sat themselves upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work
that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching
and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all
amazement, and could not take his eyes off for a moment. And on they
went till the job was quite finished, and the shoes stood ready for use
upon the table. This was long before day-break; and then they bustled
away as quick as lightning.

The next day the wife said to the shoemaker, "These little wights have
made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good
office in return. I am quite vexed to see them run about as they do;
they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I'll tell you
what, I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a
pair of pantaloons into the bargain; do you make each of them a little
pair of shoes."

The thought pleased the good shoemaker very much; and one evening,
when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table instead
of the work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves
to watch what the little elves would do. About midnight they came in,
and were going to sit down to their work as usual; but when they saw
the clothes lying for them, they laughed and were greatly delighted.
Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced
and capered and sprang about as merry as could be, till at last they
danced out at the door over the green; and the shoemaker saw them no
more: but everything went well with him from that time forward, as
long as he lived.


[The end of _Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Elves and the Shoemaker_
by the Brothers Grimm]