About this story: The Elves and the Shoemaker is a timeless classic collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is one of the most beloved bedtime stories to read during the holiday season. This tale teaches children about the magic of kindness, the reward of hard work, and the importance of being grateful.
- Reading Time: 5 Minutes
- Recommended Age: 3 to 8 years old
The Poor Shoemaker and the Last Piece of Leather
Once upon a time, there lived a kind and hardworking shoemaker. But times were tough, and he had become very poor. He had no money left for food or wood, and he had only enough leather left to make one single pair of shoes.
One snowy evening, he carefully cut out the leather for the last pair of shoes. “I will sew them tomorrow morning,” he said to his wife. He said his prayers, blew out the candle, and fell asleep feeling sad but hopeful.
A Morning Surprise
The next morning, the shoemaker went to his workbench to start sewing. But he stopped in surprise! The leather was gone, and in its place stood a pair of beautiful, finished shoes.
He picked them up to examine them. The stitches were perfect, small, and even. They were the finest shoes he had ever seen! Just then, a customer walked into the shop. He loved the shoes so much that he paid double the price.
With this money, the happy shoemaker bought enough leather for two pairs of shoes. That night, he cut the leather and went to sleep.
In the morning, the same magic happened! Two pairs of perfect shoes were sitting on the table. Soon, more customers came and bought them. This happened every night. The shoemaker bought more and more leather, and every morning, he found rows of beautiful shoes ready to sell. Soon, the shoemaker and his wife were no longer poor; they were wealthy and happy.
The Midnight Visitors
It was now Christmas Eve. The shoemaker said to his wife, “Why don’t we stay up tonight to see who has been helping us all this time?”
His wife agreed. They lit a candle and hid behind a curtain in the corner of the room to watch.
At the stroke of midnight, two tiny elves skipped into the room! They were not wearing any clothes and looked very cold. They jumped onto the workbench and began to stitch, sew, and hammer with their tiny fingers. They worked so fast that the shoemaker could hardly believe his eyes.
Once the shoes were finished, the elves ran away quickly into the night.
A Gift of Gratitude
The next morning, the wife said, “Those little elves have made us rich. We must show them how grateful we are. They were running around without clothes in the cold! I will sew them little shirts, trousers, and hats. You can make them each a tiny pair of shoes.”
The shoemaker thought this was a wonderful idea. They worked all day to make the tiny gifts. On Christmas Eve night, instead of leather, they laid out the beautiful little clothes and shoes on the table. Then, they hid behind the curtain again.
At midnight, the elves returned. They were ready to work, but instead of leather, they found the lovely gifts.
A Happy Ending
The elves were delighted! They clapped their hands and put on the new clothes. They looked very handsome. They danced around the room singing:
“Now we are boys so fine to see, Why should we longer cobblers be?”
They danced out the door and over the snowy hills, never to be seen again.
But the shoemaker and his wife did not mind. They had been given a wonderful start, and they lived happily and prosperously for the rest of their lives.
Moral of the Story for Kids
What can we learn from The Elves and the Shoemaker story?
- Gratitude: The shoemaker and his wife didn’t just take the help; they gave back to show their thanks. It is important to say “thank you” when someone helps us.
- Hard Work: Even though the elves helped, the shoemaker worked hard all his life before that.
- Kindness: Good things happen to kind people.
Read the beautiful Legend of the Christmas Spider next.
