and fell asleep.

In the morning when he had prayed, as usual, and was preparing to
sit down to work, he found the pair of shoes standing finished on his
table. He was amazed, and could not understand it in the least.

He took the shoes in his hand to examine them more closely. They were
so neatly sewn that not a stitch was out of place, and were as good
as the work of a master-hand.

Soon after a purchaser came in, and as he was much pleased with the
shoes, he paid more than the ordinary price for them, so that the
shoemaker was able to buy leather for two pairs with the money.

He cut them out in the evening, and next day, with fresh courage was
about to go to work; but he had no need to, for when he got up, the
shoes were finished, and buyers were not lacking. These gave him so
much money that he was able to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.

Early next morning he found the four pairs finished, and so it went
on; what he cut out at evening was finished in the morning, so that he
was soon again in comfortable circumstances, and became a well-to-do
man.

Now it happened one evening, not long before Christmas, when he had
cut out shoes as usual, that he said to his wife: "How would it be
if we were to sit up to-night to see who it is that lends us such a
helping hand?"

The wife agreed, lighted a candle, and they hid themselves in the
corner of the room behind the clothes which were hanging there.

At midnight came two little naked men, who sat down at the shoemaker's
table, took up the cut-out work, and began with their tiny fingers
to stitch, sew, and hammer so neatly and quickly, that the shoemaker
could not believe his eyes. They did not stop till everything was
quite finished, and stood complete on the table; then they ran swiftly
away.

The next day the wife said: "The little men have made us rich, and we
ought to show our gratitude. They run about with nothing on, and
must freeze with cold. Now I will make them little shirts, coats,
waistcoats, and hose, and will even knit them stout stockings, and you
shall make them each a pair of shoes."

The husband agreed, and at evening, when they had everything ready,
they laid out the presents on the table, and hid themselves to see how
the little men would behave.

At midnight they came skipping in, and were about to set to work; but,
instead of the leather ready cut out, they found the charming little
clothes.

At first they were surprised, then exces