If the Shoes Fit
an adaptation of the Grimms’ Folktale, ‘The Shoemaker and the Elves’
This story starts sad but not very bad for the shoemaker who was poor
He had food to eat, with a wife quite sweet, but few customers at his door.
With some leather, he’d choose, make a new pair of shoes and prepare them to sell every day.
He would cut and would sew, add some glue and you know, there’d be plenty of those that would pay.
Yet though he worked well, it is now I must tell, of the time he had leather no more.
Except for one piece, which he cut, shaped, and creased, and then left it all night on the floor.
I guess it’s no crime so he stopped for some time planned to finish them off in the morn.
When he woke the next day, his wife then heard him say, that those shoes were now fit to be worn.
But not by his hand, for the pair looked quite grand, not a stitch could he see out of place.
Since they looked oh so good, he just did what he could and put them up in the window showcase
When a buyer stopped by, saw the shoes and did cry, “Those incredible shoes seem so rare.”
“They’re exceptionally nice, I will pay twice the price just to own that magnificent pair.”
The shoemaker had won and the deal it was done, with more money he’d nothing to lose.
And he spent it most wise to get more supplies enough to make two pairs of shoes.
So he spent the whole day, tracing patterns they say cutting pieces so careful and neat.
Then he went off to bed, with more thoughts in his head, till next day when he planned to complete
He woke to a surprise as four shoes filled his eyes, all finished and ready to sell.
And each sold for more than he ever planned for. So now he was doing quite well.
As each day passed by, he continued to try, to finish a pair every night.
But just as before, he did cutting not more, and each morning his shoes looked just right.
As time passed on by, his wife said, “Let’s try and find out what’s up with this shoeing.”
So they hung up a curtain, hid themselves that was certain, and throughout the night both kept on viewing.
When who should walk in, dressed in just their bare skin, but two naked hard-working elves
Both went straight to their job, with nary a sob, and made shoes that they put on the shelves.
On the leather they rapped as they glued and then tapped all the pairs as they worked until dawn.
And they never did shirk, as they finished their work, and when finished they left and were gone.
Well that’s a surprise, said the wife who was wise, we must do something to give them some payments.
The shoemaker agreed, and his wife said that she’d make the pair of them plenty of raiments.
So she made lots of clothes, from their heads to their toes, while the shoemaker, he made them shoes.
They again hid that night, left the clothes in plain sight, hoping that’s what the two elves would choose.
Which they did when they came, all the clothes they did claim, as they cried we’re naked no more
They skipped and they danced, in their new pairs of pants, till they tired and went out the door.
The elves got what they lacked, and they never came back, and the shoemaker, well he felt quite good.
When you’re kind and you care and are willing to share things work out as we all know they should
Now he and his wife live a very good life and their shoemaker shop does quite well.
And the elves if you doubt, if their story worked out, you must wait for today… I won’t tell.
