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The Elves and the Shoemaker

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ShoemakerThis 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

  1. Jason
    Posted December 17, 2007 at 3:25 pm | Permalink

    It is very good story.L love it.

  2. lucy
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 4:17 am | Permalink

    it was cool!!!

  3. allissa
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 2:50 pm | Permalink

    i LIKE THIS STORY……….

  4. marsha
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 4:54 pm | Permalink

    that was a great story

  5. jenifer
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    I really liked this story im glad the elfs helped the shemaker!!

  6. Katja
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    Thank you:))))

  7. BP
    Posted December 18, 2007 at 7:56 pm | Permalink

    I LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO VVVVVVVVVVVVVV EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i t

  8. smita
    Posted December 19, 2007 at 7:19 am | Permalink

    i like this story very much

  9. shil
    Posted December 19, 2007 at 7:19 am | Permalink

    I like story .

  10. kamal
    Posted December 19, 2007 at 7:43 am | Permalink

    i really enjoyed this story

  11. clala
    Posted December 19, 2007 at 7:51 am | Permalink

    I wish there are elves coming and making me rich too.

  12. derek
    Posted December 19, 2007 at 8:43 pm | Permalink

    I ultrallaly loved it it was the best

  13. huihui
    Posted December 20, 2007 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    it’s good.and it is not very long.i like this story.

  14. BRUCE
    Posted December 20, 2007 at 4:14 pm | Permalink

    GOOD

  15. riley
    Posted December 21, 2007 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    this story is an really old story one of my fARIT’S I have it on a recerd

  16. Anonymous
    Posted December 22, 2007 at 8:27 am | Permalink

    我都不知道她说哪里呢

  17. Henry
    Posted December 22, 2007 at 9:25 am | Permalink

    The story makes me feel rlaxed .And I like it very much

  18. kieran
    Posted December 22, 2007 at 4:27 pm | Permalink

    This is a very goood story and i enjoyed reading it. theres a good message about helping others init =)

  19. kieran
    Posted December 22, 2007 at 5:45 pm | Permalink

    hi this is a good book

  20. joy
    Posted December 23, 2007 at 5:48 am | Permalink

    fitting to christmas

  21. Gabriel
    Posted December 23, 2007 at 9:57 pm | Permalink

    This story was very nice about the little men.

  22. Lorenzo
    Posted December 23, 2007 at 9:59 pm | Permalink

    I liked the Shoemaker gave the little elves a present.

  23. Beth, Oscar and Oliver
    Posted December 24, 2007 at 6:47 pm | Permalink

    We loved this story

  24. bob
    Posted December 24, 2007 at 6:59 pm | Permalink

    it is bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  25. Alan
    Posted December 25, 2007 at 11:42 am | Permalink

    太棒了!It is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  26. Yas
    Posted December 26, 2007 at 1:06 pm | Permalink

    good

  27. halleck mua
    Posted December 27, 2007 at 12:38 pm | Permalink

    天!我看到中文了!!!
    握手~~~~~~

  28. 我是白痴
    Posted December 27, 2007 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    什么?

  29. halleck mua
    Posted December 27, 2007 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

  30. mridu----megha
    Posted December 29, 2007 at 6:20 am | Permalink

    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!!!!

  31. mridu----megha
    Posted December 29, 2007 at 6:22 am | Permalink

    Hey Dear,

    I told this story to my grand daughters… they are too happy to say keep it on and on !!!!

  32. Jasmine
    Posted December 30, 2007 at 5:09 pm | Permalink

    This story is as sweet as honey

  33. Gina
    Posted December 30, 2007 at 10:24 pm | Permalink

    This is a nice version of the story!

  34. elif
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 10:01 pm | Permalink

    we loved it :)

  35. Lee
    Posted January 1, 2008 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    이 이야기는 너무 재미 있어요.! I love it

  36. NOOR
    Posted January 1, 2008 at 4:36 pm | Permalink

    Well done!
    Nooruddin
    Sargodha
    Pakistan

  37. saleh
    Posted January 4, 2008 at 6:05 pm | Permalink

    AMAZZZZZZING!!!!!!!

  38. Mohamed
    Posted January 4, 2008 at 6:09 pm | Permalink

    GOOOOOOOOOOOD STOOOOOOOOOOORRRY

  39. ayoung
    Posted January 7, 2008 at 4:58 pm | Permalink

    cool they will be rich. i love this story

  40. Melody
    Posted January 12, 2008 at 10:50 pm | Permalink

    Good story.

  41. a-jay
    Posted January 15, 2008 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    it’s do nice

  42. gaara
    Posted January 16, 2008 at 12:38 am | Permalink

    i like this story

  43. odette
    Posted January 16, 2008 at 12:23 pm | Permalink

    this is good for everyone to read…lots of values to learn

  44. Anh Tuan
    Posted January 17, 2008 at 4:35 am | Permalink

    I can not download the full Audio File. It’s only 15 seconds.

  45. Anh Tuan
    Posted January 17, 2008 at 4:36 am | Permalink

    Can you help me? I need it for my sudents!

  46. ellie exzs
    Posted January 18, 2008 at 10:40 pm | Permalink

    i really injoyed this stroy and ther are asslose other good stroies at stroy nory.com

  47. Saffron-sheryl
    Posted January 19, 2008 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    Hi Bertie..
    I read this story after christmas but I find it very very interesting…

  48. ashwath
    Posted January 21, 2008 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    very v ery nice story

  49. prasanna
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 3:55 pm | Permalink

    very nice story and we need animated one

  50. bethany
    Posted February 1, 2008 at 4:48 pm | Permalink

    i liked it

  51. Doodee
    Posted February 1, 2008 at 5:10 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for sharing

  52. njc
    Posted February 16, 2008 at 5:53 pm | Permalink

    i like this nice story

  53. Sakura
    Posted February 18, 2008 at 12:43 pm | Permalink

    Kawaii!!! Arigatou gozaimasu!

  54. shaq
    Posted February 20, 2008 at 9:34 pm | Permalink

    i like your story and i like when the people gave them cloth

  55. naty
    Posted March 1, 2008 at 1:57 am | Permalink

    thank you fo posting this story, people could really turn their head with someone who help them and vice versa…

  56. Mighty guy
    Posted March 3, 2008 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    great for people that don`t give anything at christmas. any little thing counts!

  57. gauri
    Posted March 9, 2008 at 4:31 am | Permalink

    its great kids love these stories and i am one of them.

  58. Gauri
    Posted March 9, 2008 at 4:35 am | Permalink

    This is really very great! I love your stories Natasha aunty.

  59. Aainaa
    Posted March 10, 2008 at 3:13 am | Permalink

    i like the story what about you all ????????????????????

  60. Phoebe
    Posted March 10, 2008 at 11:08 am | Permalink

    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.

  61. Alefiyah
    Posted March 18, 2008 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    Dear storynory this story was nice it had adjectives like poor, grateful. This was a nice story about Christmas .It was long.

  62. solar panel
    Posted March 23, 2008 at 11:19 pm | Permalink

    nice

  63. 俊泽
    Posted April 19, 2008 at 7:25 am | Permalink

    gggggggggggggoooooooooooooooooooooddddddddddddddddd
    I llllllllllllloooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeee it

  64. daniel
    Posted April 21, 2008 at 2:51 pm | Permalink

    love it

  65. me
    Posted April 24, 2008 at 4:24 pm | Permalink

    it was very good

  66. Jojo
    Posted April 28, 2008 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    大家速度挖啊!!!!!!!

  67. Katie
    Posted May 6, 2008 at 11:54 am | Permalink

    i like this story

  68. Katie
    Posted May 6, 2008 at 11:57 am | Permalink

    i like this story beacuse i love it when i was small

  69. Cynthia.D.Lee
    Posted May 8, 2008 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    이 이야기가 재밌어요.
    This story is fun.
    느타샤는 재미있게 읽어줘요.
    Natasha reads story in fun way.

  70. Anne
    Posted May 14, 2008 at 12:50 am | Permalink

    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!

  71. Thanigaivasan
    Posted May 24, 2008 at 10:26 am | Permalink

    its a good and interesting story,
    i like this web side very much.

  72. Michelle
    Posted May 30, 2008 at 5:17 am | Permalink

    Very nice one. Thanks natasha!!!!

  73. Posted June 14, 2008 at 3:22 am | Permalink

    이 이야기는 너무 재미 있어요

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