Good evening, children. It's Granny McDuff, ready with a story. So make yourselves comfy, and I'll begin.

Once upon a time, there lived a shoemaker who had become so poor that he had only enough leather for one more pair of shoes. In the evening, he cut out the shoes that he wished to begin the next morning.

He lay quietly thinking of what he might do,

but soon fell asleep. In the morning, after his breakfast, he went to his workshop ready to finish the

shoes, but found them on the table quite finished. He was shocked and speechless. He looked the shoes over once, twice and a third time,

and found not one bad stitch in them. They were perfect. Soon after, a buyer came in,

and he was so taken with the shoes that he paid more than was customary.

With the money, the shoemaker was able to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes.

That night he cut them out and left them on his table.

And the next morning, after breakfast, he readied himself to finish them.

But there was no need.

For there on his table sat two perfect pairs of shoes.

And he sold both pairs that very same day.

With the money, he was able to buy enough leather for four pairs of shoes, and again, the next morning, he found perfectly made shoes all four pairs. And so it went on this way. What he cut out in the evening was finished by morning.

He soon became a wealthy man, and the best shoemaker in town.

One evening, just before Christmas, when the man sat down to supper with his wife, he said,

What do you think of staying up tonight to see who it is who has been helping us?

His wife replied,

I think it's a brilliant idea.

Perhaps we can thank them.

After dinner, the man finished his cutting,

but instead of going to bed,

...