Prevod

There was once a shoemaker who, through no fault of his own, had grown so poor that at last he had nothing left but enough leather for a single pair of shoes. That evening he cut out the shoes, intending to begin work on them the next morning; and since he had a clear conscience, he went peacefully to bed, commended himself to the good Lord, and fell asleep. In the morning, after saying his prayers, he was about to sit down to work when he found the two shoes standing on his table, quite finished. He was astonished and did not know what to say. He picked up the shoes to examine them more closely: they were so neatly made that not a stitch was out of place, just as though they were meant to be a masterpiece. Before long a customer came in, and because he liked the shoes so much, he paid more than the usual price for them, so that the shoemaker could buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out that evening and meant to set to work with fresh heart the next morning, but there was no need, for when he rose they were already finished. Nor was there any shortage of customers, who paid him so well that he could buy leather for four pairs of shoes. Early the next morning he found all four pairs finished too; and so it went on: whatever he cut out in the evening was made up by morning, until he was soon earning an honest living again and at last became a prosperous man. Now one evening, not long before Christmas, when the man had once more finished cutting out his work, he said to his wife before going to bed, 'What if we stayed up tonight to see who lends us such a helping hand?' His wife agreed and lit a candle; then they hid in the corners of the room, behind the clothes hanging there, and kept watch. At midnight two pretty little naked men appeared, sat down at the shoemaker's table, gathered up all the cut-out work, and began piercing, stitching, and hammering with their tiny fingers so nimbly and swiftly that the shoemaker could not take his eyes off them for wonder. They did not stop until everything was finished and stood ready on the table; then they scampered away.

The next morning the wife said, 'Those little men have made us rich, and we really ought to show our gratitude. They run about with nothing on and must be cold. Do you know what? I shall sew them little shirts, coats, waistcoats, and breeches, and knit each of them a pair of stockings; you make each of them a little pair of shoes to go with them.' The man said, 'I shall be glad to,' and that evening, when everything was ready, they laid the gifts together on the table in place of the cut-out work, then hid themselves to see what the little men would do. At midnight they came skipping in and were about to set to work at once, but when they found no cut-out leather, only the pretty little clothes, they were astonished at first, then showed the greatest delight. They dressed themselves as quickly as they could, smoothed their fine clothes over their bodies, and sang, 'Are we not boys so fine and neat?

Why make more shoes for others' feet!' Then they hopped and danced and leaped over chairs and benches. At last they danced out through the door. From that day on they never returned, but the shoemaker prospered for the rest of his life, and everything he undertook went well.

SECOND TALE There was once a poor servant girl who was hardworking and tidy, swept the house every day, and emptied the sweepings onto a great heap outside the door. One morning, just as she was about to begin her work again, she found a letter on the heap, and since she could not read, she stood her broom in the corner and took the letter to her employers. It proved to be an invitation from the elves, asking the girl to stand godmother to one of their children. The girl did not know what to do, but at last, after much persuasion, and because she was told that such a request must not be refused, she agreed. Then three elves came and led her into a hollow mountain where the little folk lived. Everything there was small, but so dainty and splendid that words cannot describe it. The mother lay in a bed of black ebony with knobs of pearl; the coverlets were embroidered with gold, the cradle was ivory, and the bathtub was gold. The girl stood godmother and then wanted to go home again, but the little elves begged her earnestly to stay with them for three days. So she stayed and spent the time in joy and merriment, and the little folk did everything they could to please her. At last, when she was ready to set off home, they first filled her pockets with gold and then led her out of the mountain again. When she reached home, she meant to begin her work, picked up the broom, which was still standing in the corner, and began to sweep. Then strangers came out of the house and asked who she was and what she was doing there. She had spent not three days with the little men in the mountain, as she had thought, but seven years, and in that time her former employers had died.

THIRD TALE A mother's child had been taken from its cradle by the elves, who had put in its place a changeling with a thick head and staring eyes that wanted to do nothing but eat and drink. In her distress she went to her neighbour and asked her advice. The neighbour told her to carry the changeling into the kitchen, set it on the hearth, light a fire, and boil water in two eggshells: that would make the changeling laugh, and once it laughed, that would be the end of it. The woman did everything as her neighbour had told her. As she set the eggshells full of water over the fire, the blockhead said, 'Now I am as old as the Westerwald, yet never have I seen anyone cooking in eggshells.'

And it began to laugh at the sight. As it laughed, a whole crowd of little elves suddenly appeared, bringing the true child with them. They set it on the hearth and carried the changeling away again.