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从前有个鞋匠，他工作努力,为人诚实，却入不敷出。到最后他穷得什么都没有了，只剩下可以做一双鞋的皮子了。晚上他把皮子裁好，准备第二天一早起来把这双鞋做出来。 尽管麻烦缠身，鞋匠心情却还轻松。他悄悄地上了床,睡着了。第二天早上起来他做完祷告，准备开始工作。但令他惊讶的是那双鞋已经做好放在桌子上了。 这个好心的鞋匠不知道该说什么好了。他仔细地观察那双鞋。没有一针缝错。整双鞋做得十分工整。 就在这天，一位顾客走进店里，看到了那双鞋。他太喜欢了，就非常开心地花高价买走了那双鞋。鞋匠就用这些钱买了足够做两双鞋的皮子回来。晚上他把皮子裁好，就早早上床睡觉了。他希望一大早就起床工作。 他很省事，因为他早上一起床就发现，鞋子已经做好了。很快就有客人来花大价钱把鞋子买走了。于是他就又买了足够做四双鞋的皮子回来。 他又在晚上把皮子裁好，像以前一样，第二天早上鞋子就做好了。就这样过了一段时间，晚上准备好的皮子第二天早上总是会被做成鞋子。那个好心的鞋匠也就变得富足了。 圣诞节期间的一个晚上，鞋匠和妻子坐在火炉边聊天。他说：“今晚我想不睡觉等在这看看到底是谁来帮我完成的工作。”于是他们就开着灯，躲在一个帘子的后面看会发生什么。 刚到午夜，来了两个小矮人。他们坐在鞋匠的晃子上，把裁好的皮子拿起来，用他们的小手工作起来。他们缝皮子、敲皮子的速度太快了。鞋匠十分惊讶，眼睛眨也不眨盯着小矮人们看。 他们就这样一直工作着直到把鞋子做好。这时离天亮还早，小矮人们又像闪电一样飞快地离开了。 第二天妻子对鞋匠说：“这些小矮人让我们变得富有，我们应该感激他们，给他们点回报。我看到他们就那样跑了感到很难过。他们一点御寒的衣物都没有。我想给他们每人做一件衬衣，一件外套和一件马甲，还有一条马裤。你愿意为他们每人做双鞋吗?” 好心的鞋匠也很喜欢这个主意。一天晚上，他们把准备好的衣服放在桌子上，而没有像往常那样把裁好的皮子放在那。然后他们就躲在帘子后面看小矮人们会做些什么。 午夜的时候小矮人们进来了。他们像往常那样刚要坐下来准备开始工作，突然发现放在桌子上的衣服。他们高兴地笑了，非常开心。他们穿好衣服，跳着舞，欢呼雀跃着出了门。 从那以后，鞋匠再也没见过小矮人，但却度过了幸福的一生。 The Story of a Shoemaker There was once a shoemaker who worked very hard and was honest. Still, he could not earn enough to live on. At last, all he had in the world was gone except just leather enough to make one pair of shoes. He cut these out at night, and meant to rise early the next morning to make them up. His heart was light in spite of his troubles. So he went quietly to bed, and fell asleep. In the morning he said his prayers, and sat down to work, when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes, already made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say. He looked at the work. There was not one false stitch in the whole job. All was neat. That same day a customer came in，and the shoes pleased him so well that he readily paid a price higher than usual for them. The shoemaker took the money and bought leather enough to make two pairs more. He cut out the work in the evening, and went to bed early. He wished to be up with the sun and get to work. He was saved all trouble, for when he got up in the morning, the work was done. Pretty soon buyers came in, who paid him well for his goods. So he bought leather enough for four pairs more. He cut out the work again overnight, and found it finished in the morning as before. So it went on for some time. What was got ready at night was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon was well-to-do. One evening, at Christmas-time, he and his wife sat over the fire, chatting, and he said："I should like to sit up and watch tonight that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me. "So they left the light burning, and hid themselves behind a curtain to see what would happen. As soon as it was midnight, there came two little Elves. They sat upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply their little fingers. They stitched and rapped and tapped at such a rate that the shoemaker was amazed，and could not take his eyes off them for a moment. On they went till the job was done. This was long before daybreak. Then they ran away as quick as lightning. The next day the wife said to the shoemaker, "These little Elves have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them some good in return. I am vexed to see them run about as they do. They have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons. Do you make each of them a little pair of shoes?” The good shoemaker liked the thought very well. One evening he and his wife had the clothes ready, and laid them on the table instead of the work they used to cut out. Then they went and hid behind the curtain to watch what the little Elves would do. At midnight the Elves came in and were going to sit down at their work as usual. But when they saw the clothes lying there for them, they laughed and were in high glee. They dressed themselves, and danced and capered and sprang about, till at last they danced out of the door. The shoemaker saw them no more, but everything went well with him as long as he lived. |
