There was once a shoemaker who worked hard and was honest, but he was still very poor. In the end he had leather for only one pair of shoes. He cut the leather in the evening, left it on his table, and went to bed.
In the morning the leather was gone. In its place stood a pair of finished shoes. Every stitch was small and even. The shoemaker could not understand it. That day a customer paid him well for the shoes, and with the money he bought leather for two more pairs.
The same thing happened again. In the morning two fine pairs stood ready. He sold them and bought leather for four. Week after week it went on, and soon the shoemaker was not poor any more.
One night near Christmas he said to his wife, "Let us stay awake and see who is helping us." They hid behind some coats and waited. At midnight two little men came in. They had no clothes at all. They sat on the table and worked so fast that the shoemaker could not follow their fingers. When the shoes were done, they ran away.
"They have made us rich," said the wife, "and they have nothing to wear. Let us make them something." She sewed two little shirts and two little coats, and the shoemaker made two tiny pairs of shoes. That night they left the presents on the table instead of leather.
At midnight the little men came again. When they saw the clothes they laughed and sang, and they dressed themselves and danced out of the door. They never came back. But from that day the shoemaker did well, and everything he made turned out right.
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