emselves in the corner of the room, where hung some clothes which
concealed them. As soon as it was midnight in came two little manikins,
who squatted down on the board; and, taking up the prepared work, set to
with their little fingers, stitching and sewing, and hammering so
swiftly and lightly, that the shoemaker could not take his eyes off them
for astonishment. They did not cease until all was brought to an end,
and the shoes stood ready on the table; and then they sprang quickly
away.

[Illustration: The Shoemaker & the Little Elves]

The following morning the wife said, "The little men have made us rich,
and we must show our gratitude to them; for although they run about they
must be cold, for they have nothing on their bodies. I will make a
little shirt, coat, waistcoat, trousers, and stockings for each, and do
you make a pair of shoes for each."

The husband assented; and one evening, when all was ready, they laid
presents, instead of the usual work, on the board, and hid themselves to
see the result.

At midnight in came the Elves, jumping about, and soon prepared to work,
but when they saw no leather, but the natty little clothes, they at
first were astonished, but soon showed their rapturous glee. They drew
on their coats, and smoothing them down, sang--

"Smart and natty boys are we;
Cobblers we'll no longer be."

And so they went on hopping and jumping over the stools and chairs, and
at last out at the door. After that evening they did not come again, but
the shoemaker prospered in all he undertook, and lived happily to the
end of his days.

THE GINGERBREAD BOY[N]

Now you shall hear a story that somebody's great, great-grandmother told
a little girl ever so many years ago:

There was once a little old man and a little old woman, who lived in a
little old house in the edge of a wood. They would have been a very
happy old couple but for one thing--they had no little child, and they
wished for one very much. One day, when the little old woman was baking
gingerbread, she cut a cake in the shape of a little boy, and put it
into the oven.

Presently, she went to the oven to see if it was baked. As soon as the
oven door was opened, the little gingerbread boy jumped out, and began
to run away as fast as he could go.

The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him.
But they could not catch him. And soon the gingerbread boy came to a
barn full of threshers. He call