t 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 any one's 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
any one 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 al