The Elves: A Grimm Fairy Tale

The Elves is a German fairy tale collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. It follows a poor shoemaker whose fortunes change after mysterious little visitors begin helping him with his work. When he and his wife discover who has been making the beautiful shoes, they decide to express their gratitude. The story celebrates generosity, hard work and the importance of appreciating kindness.

A Shoemaker Falls on Hard Times

There was once a shoemaker who had become so poor that he had only enough leather left to make one final pair of shoes. He carefully cut the leather into the shapes he needed and left the pieces on his workbench, intending to stitch them together the following morning.

Tired from his work, he went to bed and entrusted the unfinished shoes to the next day.

When he rose at dawn and returned to his workshop, he was astonished by what he saw. The leather pieces had been transformed into a beautiful pair of shoes. Every stitch was neat, and the finished work was so fine that it looked as though it had been made by a highly skilled craftsman.

The shoemaker could hardly believe his eyes.

He examined the shoes closely, searching for any sign that he had overlooked something the previous evening. But the work was complete, and the shoes were of excellent quality.

Soon, a customer entered the shop and admired the shoes. He liked them so much that he paid more than the shoemaker had expected.

With the money, the shoemaker bought enough leather to make two more pairs. He cut the leather into pieces that evening and prepared the materials for the next day’s work.

Once again, he left everything neatly arranged on his bench before going to bed.

Mysterious Helpers

The following morning, the shoemaker hurried into his workshop. To his amazement, the leather had once again been turned into two pairs of beautiful shoes.

The stitching was perfect, the leather had been handled with great care, and every pair was ready for sale.

Customers admired the workmanship and eagerly bought the shoes. The shoemaker received enough money to purchase more leather, and his business began to improve.

Each evening, he prepared leather for the next day’s work. Each morning, he discovered that the shoes had already been made.

The shoemaker and his wife could not understand who was helping them. They had no apprentices, and neither of them had heard anyone entering the workshop at night.

Still, the mysterious assistance continued. The shoemaker sold the shoes, bought more materials and gradually became prosperous again.

At last, he and his wife decided that they should discover who had been doing such wonderful work for them.

“We owe whoever is helping us a great deal,” the shoemaker told his wife. “We should find a way to thank them.”

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His wife agreed. Together, they planned to remain awake and watch the workshop during the night.

The Elves Revealed

When evening came, the shoemaker and his wife left the leather pieces on the workbench as usual. Then they hid themselves in a corner of the room and waited quietly.

The hours passed slowly. The house grew silent, and the couple began to wonder whether anything would happen that night.

Then, just after midnight, two little elves appeared.

They climbed onto the workbench and immediately began working on the leather. Their tiny hands moved quickly and skilfully. They cut, stitched and shaped the materials with extraordinary speed.

Before long, the shoes were finished. The elves placed them neatly on the bench and disappeared as quietly as they had arrived.

The shoemaker and his wife had watched the entire scene. They now understood how their business had been saved.

The little helpers were not ordinary workers. They were elves who had been making shoes for them night after night without asking for payment.

The couple felt deeply grateful. They wanted to reward the elves, but they knew that simply offering money might not be the most thoughtful way to express their thanks.

After discussing the matter, they decided to make clothes for their mysterious visitors.

A Gift of Their Own

The shoemaker’s wife set to work sewing two small shirts, while the shoemaker prepared two pairs of tiny trousers and other garments suitable for the elves.

They worked carefully, making sure that each piece was small enough to fit the little visitors. They also made tiny shoes for them, using the same care and skill that had made the shoemaker’s own work so successful.

When the clothes were finished, the couple placed the garments on the workbench instead of the leather they usually prepared.

That evening, they hid themselves again and waited.

At midnight, the two elves appeared. They were ready to begin their usual work, but when they saw the little clothes laid out before them, they stopped in surprise.

They picked up the garments and examined them with delight. The clothes fitted them perfectly.

The elves quickly put on their new shirts, trousers and shoes. They were overjoyed to receive such thoughtful gifts.

Instead of sitting down to make shoes, they began to dance and sing. Their happiness filled the quiet workshop.

They danced around the room, celebrating their new clothes and the kindness shown to them by the shoemaker and his wife.

After a while, the elves left the workshop. They did not return to make shoes again.

A New Beginning

The shoemaker and his wife understood that the elves had completed their work for them. Their gifts had been accepted, and the little helpers were now free to go their own way.

Although the elves no longer appeared at night, the shoemaker’s business continued to prosper. The shoes they had made had helped him recover from poverty, and the money he earned allowed him to continue working successfully.

He and his wife never forgot the mysterious visitors. They remembered how the elves had helped them when they had almost nothing left and how their thoughtful gifts had brought joy to their helpers.

The couple continued their work with gratitude, knowing that the kindness they had received had changed their lives.

The elves, meanwhile, went away dressed in their new clothes, leaving behind a story of generosity and unexpected help.

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Moral Lesson

The Elves teaches that kindness deserves gratitude and that thoughtful gifts can be more meaningful than money. It also shows how help given at a difficult time can make a lasting difference in someone’s life.

Knowledge Check

1. Why was the shoemaker worried at the beginning of the story?

He was very poor and had only enough leather left to make one final pair of shoes.

2. What surprised the shoemaker when he entered his workshop the first morning?

He discovered that the leather pieces he had prepared had been turned into a beautiful pair of finished shoes.

3. How did the shoemaker’s situation improve?

He sold the beautifully made shoes, earned money and used it to buy more leather for his business.

4. Who was making the shoes during the night?

Two little elves were secretly making the shoes while the shoemaker slept.

5. How did the shoemaker and his wife thank the elves?

They made tiny clothes and shoes for the elves and left the gifts on the workbench.

6. What did the elves do when they discovered the gifts?

They happily put on the clothes, danced and sang before leaving the workshop.

Source

Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, Grimm’s Household Tales, translated by Margaret Raine Hunt, 1884, Tale 39, “The Elves” (German: “Die Wichtelmänner”).

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