The Elves & the Shoemaker

A careful shoemaker could no longer earn enough to buy supplies. One evening he found that just enough leather remained for a single pair of shoes.

He cut the pieces to shape, planning to stitch them the next morning. His wife wished him a good night, and they went to bed.

At dawn the shoemaker sat down to work and stopped in surprise. The pieces he had left overnight had become a finished pair of shoes.

He turned them in his hands. Every stitch was neat and strong. Neither he nor his wife knew who had made them.

Before long, a customer came into the shop. The shoes pleased him so much that he paid more than usual. With the money, the shoemaker bought leather for two new pairs.

He cut both pairs before bedtime. He still did not know who had finished the first pair.