FIRST TALE
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 he wished 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, he found the two shoes quite finished upon 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 the shoes out at night and the 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. Once again, he found buyers, 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. 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 shoes, 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 elves came, sat down by the shoemaker’s table, took all the work which was cut out before them, and began to stitch, 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 upon the table, and then they ran quickly away.
The 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, coats, vests, and trousers, and knit both of them a pair of stockings, and do you, too, make them two little pairs of shoes.” The man said, “I shall be very glad to do it.”
At night, when everything was ready, instead of the usual cut-out leather, they laid their presents all together upon the table and then concealed themselves to see how the elves would behave. At midnight the elves came bounding in, and wanted to get to work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, 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.
SECOND TALE
THERE WAS ONCE a poor servant-girl, who was industrious and tidy, and swept the house every day and emptied her sweepings on a great heap outside of the door. One morning when she was just going back to her work, she found a letter upon this heap, and as she could not read, she put her broom in the corner and took the letter to her master and mistress. Behold, it was an invitation from the elves, who asked the girl to hold a child for them at its christening. The girl did not know what to do, but at length, after much persuasion, and as her master and mistress told her that it was not right to refuse an invitation of this kind, she consented.
Then three elves came and conducted her to a hollow mountain, where the little folks lived. Everything there was small, but more elegant and beautiful than can be described. The baby’s mother lay in a bed of black ebony ornamented with pearls, the bedsheets were embroidered with gold; the cradle was of ivory, the bath of gold. After the girl stood as godmother, she wanted to go home again, but the little elves urgently entreated her to stay three days with them. So she stayed, and passed the time in pleasure and gaiety, and the little folks did all they could to make her happy.
At last when she was ready to set out upon her way home, the elves filled her pockets quite full of money, and after that they led her out of the mountain again. When she got home, she wanted to get back to her work and took the broom, which was still standing in the corner, in her hand and began to sweep. But then two strangers came out of the house and asked her who she was, and what business she had there? Alas, she had not, as she thought, been three days with the little men in the mountains, but seven years. In the meantime her former masters had died.
THIRD TALE
A CERTAIN MOTHER’S child had been taken away out of its cradle by the elves, and a changeling with a large head and staring eyes, which would do nothing but eat and drink, laid in its place. In her trouble the mother went to her neighbor and asked her advice. The neighbor advised her to carry the changeling into the kitchen, set it down upon the hearth, light a fire, and boil some water in two eggshells. This would make the changeling laugh, and if he laughed, he would lose his powers. The woman did everything that her neighbor bade her. When she put the eggshells with water on the fire, the imp said, “I am as old now as the Wester forest, but never yet have I seen anyone boil anything in an eggshell!”
And he began to laugh at it. While he was laughing, suddenly came a host of little elves, who brought the right child, set it down upon the hearth, and took the changeling away with them.