They made the
wee clothes as dainty as could be, with
nice little stitches and pretty buttons; and
by Christmas time, they were finished.
On Christmas eve, the shoemaker cleaned
his bench, and on it, instead of leather,
he laid the two sets of gay little fairy-
clothes. Then he and his wife hid away
as before, to watch.
Promptly at midnight, the little naked
elves came in. They hopped upon the
bench; but when they saw the little clothes
there, they laughed and danced for joy.
Each one caught up his little coat and
things and began to put them on. Then
they looked at each other and made all
kinds of funny motions in their delight.
At last they began to dance, and when
the clock struck two, they danced quite
away, out of the window.
They never came back any more, but
from that day they gave the shoemaker
and his wife good luck, so that they never
needed any more help.
WHO KILLED THE OTTER'S BABIES[1]?
[1] Adapted from the story as told in Fables and Folk Tales
From an Eastern Forest, by Walter Skeat.
Once the Otter came to the Mouse-deer
and said, "Friend Mouse-deer, will you
please take care of my babies while I go
to the river, to catch fish?"
"Certainly," said the Mouse-deer, "go
along."
But when the Otter came back from the
river, with a string of fish, he found his
babies crushed flat.
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