The Elves and the Shoemaker

Once upon a time, there lived a shoemaker and his wife. The shoemaker earned his daily bread by making shoes which he sold at the market. Even though he worked very hard, he couldn't earn enough money for a comfortable life. They struggled just to keep a roof over their heads.

Eventually, the day came when the shoemaker no longer had money to buy leather for shoes. All he had left was one last piece of leather in his entire workshop.

"This might be my last chance to make shoes. I'll sew the very best pair with this leather."

He sat down at his workbench, just as he had done daily for years, and cut the leather with great care. By sunset, he had finished cutting and had begun to sew the shoes. Night fell, so he placed the shoes on the table.