Gladiolus12
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March 28 daily, 679 words
The shoemaker often wondered what the elves were up to now. They hadn’t come back since the night they danced away with their new clothes. The shoemaker, though now rich and happy, still thought of them and missed them. He hoped they were doing alright.
The elves were, in fact, having a splendid time. They were dancing a jig around the fire with all the other creatures and fairyfolk from the magic world. And they were wearing their brand new clothes! The elves were so very proud of their new green tunics and pointed shoes.
From the moment they had seen the clothes laid out on the shoemaker’s table, the elves knew their job was done. The fairy queen had seen the poor shoemaker’s troubles and sent the elves to help him every night. She had said that once it became apparent that the shoemaker was doing well on his own, the elves could stop helping. So every night, the elves had dutifully gone to the shoemaker’s house, and, while he was sleeping, had deftly made beautiful pairs of shoes, all ready to be sold the next morning.
This kept going on, until one night, the elves skipped in, ready to do their work as usual, when laid neatly out in front of them, they saw two matching sets of green shirts, pantaloons, and hats, and two dear quaint little pairs of shoes! The elves shrieked with delight and immediately put them on. And then they knew their job was done. So they skipped out of there with their reward, never to come back again.
But the shoemaker hadn’t forgotten them, and now he missed them so terribly. He wanted to see them once more, to thank them for the immense wealth they had brought him. And the fairy queen knew this.
So that night, while all the fairyfolk were jigging, she climbed onto the highest rock and suddenly ordered all the lively music and dancing to stop. So the musicians stopped their playing, and everyone turned to look at the queen with disappointment.
She asked for the elves to come up, and for everyone else to continue their dancing. So everyone else picked up the music again, and now it was only the elves that came up to the queen with confused and disgruntled expressions. She smiled at them and apologized, and then told them of the old shoemaker and how he wished to see them once more. She asked if they could go visit him and his wife again.
And how could the elves say no to their own queen? So they tipped their pointy little hats and set off to the familiar old house. The inside smelled of leather when they came in, just as they remembered, but instead of dim light coming from a single candle, the entire room was brightly lit. In fact, the whole house looked like it had gone through marvelous renovations. There was more furniture, for instance.
The old man was sitting down at his table, working meticulously on a new pair of boots. The elves gigged and skipped quietly over to him, not making a peep. Then, when they were right next to him, they all shrieked at the same time, and the poor man jumped a mile high and turned around in fright, dropping his needle on the floor.
But oh, how happy he was when he saw the elves! He smiled from ear to ear and looked as if he could not believe his eyes. He called his wife over, and she too looked as if she were dreaming. It had been a year since the elves had last come, and now they were back! It was a very happy reunion, indeed.
By the time the night was over, the elves were going home with bundles of new clothes in their arms and bellies full of biscuits, and the shoemaker and his wife were waving at them with matching smiles on their faces.
And the fairy queen smiled to see them all, and knew her job was finished.
The shoemaker often wondered what the elves were up to now. They hadn’t come back since the night they danced away with their new clothes. The shoemaker, though now rich and happy, still thought of them and missed them. He hoped they were doing alright.
The elves were, in fact, having a splendid time. They were dancing a jig around the fire with all the other creatures and fairyfolk from the magic world. And they were wearing their brand new clothes! The elves were so very proud of their new green tunics and pointed shoes.
From the moment they had seen the clothes laid out on the shoemaker’s table, the elves knew their job was done. The fairy queen had seen the poor shoemaker’s troubles and sent the elves to help him every night. She had said that once it became apparent that the shoemaker was doing well on his own, the elves could stop helping. So every night, the elves had dutifully gone to the shoemaker’s house, and, while he was sleeping, had deftly made beautiful pairs of shoes, all ready to be sold the next morning.
This kept going on, until one night, the elves skipped in, ready to do their work as usual, when laid neatly out in front of them, they saw two matching sets of green shirts, pantaloons, and hats, and two dear quaint little pairs of shoes! The elves shrieked with delight and immediately put them on. And then they knew their job was done. So they skipped out of there with their reward, never to come back again.
But the shoemaker hadn’t forgotten them, and now he missed them so terribly. He wanted to see them once more, to thank them for the immense wealth they had brought him. And the fairy queen knew this.
So that night, while all the fairyfolk were jigging, she climbed onto the highest rock and suddenly ordered all the lively music and dancing to stop. So the musicians stopped their playing, and everyone turned to look at the queen with disappointment.
She asked for the elves to come up, and for everyone else to continue their dancing. So everyone else picked up the music again, and now it was only the elves that came up to the queen with confused and disgruntled expressions. She smiled at them and apologized, and then told them of the old shoemaker and how he wished to see them once more. She asked if they could go visit him and his wife again.
And how could the elves say no to their own queen? So they tipped their pointy little hats and set off to the familiar old house. The inside smelled of leather when they came in, just as they remembered, but instead of dim light coming from a single candle, the entire room was brightly lit. In fact, the whole house looked like it had gone through marvelous renovations. There was more furniture, for instance.
The old man was sitting down at his table, working meticulously on a new pair of boots. The elves gigged and skipped quietly over to him, not making a peep. Then, when they were right next to him, they all shrieked at the same time, and the poor man jumped a mile high and turned around in fright, dropping his needle on the floor.
But oh, how happy he was when he saw the elves! He smiled from ear to ear and looked as if he could not believe his eyes. He called his wife over, and she too looked as if she were dreaming. It had been a year since the elves had last come, and now they were back! It was a very happy reunion, indeed.
By the time the night was over, the elves were going home with bundles of new clothes in their arms and bellies full of biscuits, and the shoemaker and his wife were waving at them with matching smiles on their faces.
And the fairy queen smiled to see them all, and knew her job was finished.