ring copper
coins about their necks. But Hugo's shop turned out more than any other.
The dealers over the border, when there was an order to be quickly
filled, always said, "Send to Hugo, he wears a charm."

At last there came a war. The king of the country in which the "village
of shoemakers" was, sent a herald into the town, who proclaimed that if
the village would furnish a certain number of shoes for the army by a
given day, the young men should be exempt from conscription; but that if
the village failed, every man in the town, young and old, should be
marched off into the army. There was a great cry, for the task appeared
to be an impossible one. Whether it was a superstitious reverence for
Hugo's charm, or that in trouble they naturally depended on him, certain
it is that the crowd by common consent gathered before the shop-door of
the silent shoemaker in the blue blouse and red flannel cap. For so busy
had Hugo been that he had not heard the herald's proclamation.

"Neighbors," said Hugo, "this is a great waste of time. We have a very
few days to do a great work, and here is one hour wasted already. Every
journeyman and apprentice is here idle. Let every one of them return to
their benches and go to work. Let the masters step into my little house
here to consult." The journeymen hastened off, the masters divided the
work between them, and Hugo was put in charge of the whole village as one
great shop. He did not allow a man to be seen on the street. He set the
women at work doing such work as they could. He did not allow a shop to
close until far into the night. But as the last day given by the king
drew near, the masters were about to give up, for it was found that every
shop was falling behind its proportion. But Hugo sternly told them to
hold their men in their places. When the last night came, he did not
allow a man to sleep. When morning came he made the women count the shoes
from each shop, but kept the men at work. As the accounts were made up,
it was found that each shop fell behind. The men quit work in despair at
last, and women were crying in the streets. Hugo's shop came last. It was
found that he and his brothers had made just enough over their share to
make up the deficiency. The whole village hailed him as their deliverer,
and everybody said that it was because of his charm.

When the war was over the king came to the village to thank the shoemakers
for their aid. All but Hugo appeared before him.