The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Elves And The Shoemaker
 By The Grimm Brothers
 Margaret Hunt's translation (1884)
 A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he
 had nothing left but leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut
 out the shoes, which he wished to begin to make the next morning, and as
 he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly in his bed, commended
 himself to God, and fell asleep. In the morning, after he had said his
 prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the two shoes stood quite
 finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He
 took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so
 neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were
 intended as a masterpiece.
 Soon after, a buyer came in, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid
 more for them than was customary and, with the money, the shoemaker
 was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out at
 night, and next morning was about to set to work with fresh courage; but
 he had no need to do so for, when he got up, they were already made, and
 buyers also were not wanting, who gave him money enough to buy leather
 for four pairs of shoes. The following morning too, he found the four pairs
 made; and so it went on constantly — what he cut out in the evening was
 finished by the morning, so that he soon had his honest independence
 again, and at last became a wealthy man.
 Now it befell that one evening not long before Christmas, when the man
 had been cutting out, he said to his wife, before going to bed, "What think
 you if we were to stay up tonight to see who it is that lends us this helping
 hand?" The woman liked the idea, and lighted a candle, and then they hid
 themselves in a corner of the room, behind some clothes which were
 hanging up there, and watched. When it was midnight, two pretty little
 naked men came, sat down by the shoemaker's table, took all the work
 which was cut out before them and began to stitch, and sew, and hammer
 so skillfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker
 could not turn away his eyes for astonishment. They did not stop until all
 was done, and stood finished on the table; and then they ran quickly away.
 Next morning the woman said, "The little men have made us rich, and we
 really must show that we are grateful for it. They run about so, and have
 nothing on, and must be cold. I'll tell thee what I'll do: I will make them
 little shirts, and coats, and vests, and trousers, and knit both of them a pair
 of stockings, and do thou, too, make them two little pairs of shoes." The
 man said, "I shall be very glad to do it;" and one night, when everything
 was ready, they laid their presents all together on the table instead of the
 cut-out work, and then concealed themselves to see how the little men
 would behave. At midnight they came bounding in, and wanted to get to
 work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the
 pretty little articles of clothing, they were at first astonished, and then
 they showed intense delight. They dressed themselves with the greatest
 rapidity, putting the pretty clothes on, and singing, "Now we are boys so
 fine to see. Why should we longer cobblers be?"
 Then they danced and skipped and leapt over chairs and benches. At last
 they danced out of doors. From that time forth they came no more, but as
 long as the shoemaker lived all went well with him, and all his
 undertakings prospered.