There is an old fairy...
Illustration
Object:
There is an old fairy tale about a poor shoemaker with only enough money to buy the leather for one pair of shoes. He bought the leather and laid it out with his tools, so that in the morning he could begin work on his last hope for his business. When he woke in the morning, his shoes were magically finished! They sold immediately, and left him with enough money to buy the leather for two pairs of shoes. He laid that leather out the same as he had the night before -- lo and behold, in the morning there were two beautiful pairs of shoes. This went on for some time, and finally the shoemaker and his wife, perplexed at the miracle, snuck downstairs at night to see if they could spot their benefactor. There, working in the moonlight, was a troop of tiny elves, stitching away. These charitable creatures asked no recompense for their efforts; they simply cut and sewed with good cheer, happy to work. The shoemaker and his wife rewarded the elves with clothes and shoes, but the gifts were secondary. It was the work itself that motivated the elves.
