for two pairs.

Happily, he cut them out, and then, as it was late, he left the pieces
on the bench, ready to sew in the morning. But when morning came, two
pairs of shoes lay on the bench, most beautifully made, and no sign of
anyone who had been there. The shoemaker and his wife were quite at a
loss.

That day a customer came and bought both pairs, and paid so much for
them that the shoemaker bought leather for four pairs, with the money.

Once more he cut out the shoes and left them on the bench. And in the
morning all four pairs were made.

It went on like this until the shoemaker and his wife were prosperous
people. But they could not be satisfied to have so much done for them
and not know to whom they should be grateful. So one night, after the
shoemaker had left the pieces of leather on the bench, he and his wife
hid themselves behind a curtain, and left a light in the room.

Just as the clock struck twelve the door opened softly, and two tiny
elves came dancing into the room, hopped on to the bench, and began to
put the pieces together. They were quite naked, but they had wee little
scissors and hammers and thread. Tap! tap! went the little hammers;
stitch, stitch, went the thread, and the little elves were hard at work.
No one ever worked so fast as they. In almost no time all the shoes were
stitched and finished. Then the tiny elves took hold of each other's
hands and danced round the shoes on the bench, till the shoemaker and
his wife had hard work not to laugh aloud. But as the clock struck two,
the little creatures whisked away out of the window, and left the room
all as it was before.

The shoemaker and his wife looked at each other, and said, "How can we
thank the little elves who have made us happy and prosperous?"

"I should like to make them some pretty clothes," said the wife, "they
are quite naked."

"I will make the shoes if you will make the coats," said her husband.

That very day they commenced their task. The wife cut out two tiny, tiny
coats of green, two weeny, weeny waistcoats of yellow, two little pairs
of trousers, of white, two bits of caps, bright red (for every one knows
the elves love bright colours), and her husband made two little pairs of
shoes with long, pointed toes. They made the wee clothes as dainty as
could be, with nice little stitches and pretty buttons; and by Christmas
time, they were finished.

On Christmas eve, the shoemaker cleaned his bench, and on it, inste