This is a short and very sweet story about a Christmas gift. In fact it’s one of the very few traditional fairy tales with a Christmas theme.
A poor shoemaker receives some unexpected help just when he needs it most. When it is close to Christmas he and his wife decided to give a gift in return.
It’s by the Brother’s Grimm.
Read by Natasha. Duration 6.18
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, became so poor that at last he had nothing left but enough leather for one pair of shoes.
So in the evening, he cut the leather into the shape of the shoes, and he left his work on the table to finish in the morning. He lay down quietly in his bed, and before he fell asleep he asked God to help him.
In the morning, just as he was about to sit down to work, he saw the two shoes standing quite finished on his table.
He was astounded, and did not know what to make of it.
He took the shoes in his hands to look at them them more closely and he saw that they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them. It just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.
Soon after, a customer came in to the shop, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more than the usual price. Now the shoe maker had enough money to buy leather for two pairs of shoes.
That night, he cut out the leather. Next morning he was about to set to work with fresh hope for the future when he saw that the shoes were already made.
There was no shortage of customers who wanted the shoes. The shoemaker soon had enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.
The following morning he found the four pairs made; and so it went on. Any leather that he cut out in in the evening was finished by the morning,
Soon he was no longer poor, and he even became quite rich.
Now one evening not long before Christmas, the man finished cutting out the leather as usual. But this time he said to his wife, “Let’s stay up to-night 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 little elves came into the room, both without any clothes on, and sat down by the shoemaker’s table. They 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 you 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 you can help 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. Then hid themselves to see what the little men would do.
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 puzzled, and then delighted. They dressed themselves very quickly, 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 one they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived all went well with him, and all his business prospered.
73 Comments
It is very good story.L love it.
it was cool!!!
i LIKE THIS STORY……….
that was a great story
I really liked this story im glad the elfs helped the shemaker!!
Thank you:))))
I LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VVVVVVVVVVVVVV EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i t
i like this story very much
I like story .
i really enjoyed this story
I wish there are elves coming and making me rich too.
I ultrallaly loved it it was the best
it’s good.and it is not very long.i like this story.
GOOD
this story is an really old story one of my fARIT’S I have it on a recerd
我都不知道她说哪里呢
The story makes me feel rlaxed .And I like it very much
This is a very goood story and i enjoyed reading it. theres a good message about helping others init =)
hi this is a good book
fitting to christmas
This story was very nice about the little men.
I liked the Shoemaker gave the little elves a present.
We loved this story
it is bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
太棒了！It is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good
天!我看到中文了!!!
握手~~~~~~
什么?
挖
Hey Dear,
I told this story to my grand daughters… they are too happy to say merry X- mas and happy new year to all of you!!!!
Hey Dear,
I told this story to my grand daughters… they are too happy to say keep it on and on !!!!
This story is as sweet as honey
This is a nice version of the story!
we loved it
이 이야기는 너무 재미 있어요.! I love it
Well done!
Nooruddin
Sargodha
Pakistan
AMAZZZZZZING!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOD STOOOOOOOOOOORRRY
cool they will be rich. i love this story
Good story.
it’s do nice
i like this story
this is good for everyone to read…lots of values to learn
I can not download the full Audio File. It’s only 15 seconds.
Can you help me? I need it for my sudents!
i really injoyed this stroy and ther are asslose other good stroies at stroy nory.com
Hi Bertie..
I read this story after christmas but I find it very very interesting…
very v ery nice story
very nice story and we need animated one
i liked it
Thanks for sharing
i like this nice story
Kawaii!!! Arigatou gozaimasu!
i like your story and i like when the people gave them cloth
thank you fo posting this story, people could really turn their head with someone who help them and vice versa…
great for people that don`t give anything at christmas. any little thing counts!
its great kids love these stories and i am one of them.
This is really very great! I love your stories Natasha aunty.
i like the story what about you all ????????????????????
The bit I liked best was when the shoemaker and his wife made the two little elves the clothing and the two little sweet shoes. It was a very nice story with all those people in it.
Dear storynory this story was nice it had adjectives like poor, grateful. This was a nice story about Christmas .It was long.
nice
gggggggggggggoooooooooooooooooooooddddddddddddddddd
I llllllllllllloooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeee it
love it
it was very good
大家速度挖啊！！！！！！！
i like this story
i like this story beacuse i love it when i was small
이 이야기가 재밌어요.
This story is fun.
느타샤는 재미있게 읽어줘요.
Natasha reads story in fun way.
This story was so good! I really liked the part when the owners of the shop made the elves clothes and shoes. I also think it was very good that they wanted to thank the elves for their hard work and commitment. Natasha is a very good reader and I think she uses great enthusiasm when she is reading. It also was a very good adaptation. Elves are so cute. You should also read Rumplestiltskin! It is very good! Have a great day!
its a good and interesting story,
i like this web side very much.
Very nice one. Thanks natasha!!!!
이 이야기는 너무 재미 있어요