The Elves and The Shoemaker Once upon a time there was a Shoemaker who made very good shoes. But though he worked hard in his shop, times were difficult and he become poorer and poorer. One evening he cut out some shoes from his last bit of leather and laid the pieces out on his workbench to sew in the morning when the light was better. He put everything ready including the needles and thread. "I may never make another pair of shoes," he sighed as he put the shutters over his shop window. "When I finish and sell this pair, I must buy food for my family. Then there will be nothing left over to buy leather to make more shoes." The next morning when he went over to his workbench, the first thing he saw a beautiful pair of shoes. He examined them carefully and realized they were made from the leather he had cut out the night before. The stitches were exquisite, very tiny and neat, and he knew the shoes were far better than any he could have made. Quickly