Christmas means different things to different people and that is okay. Yes, it is good to feel warm, all cozied up at home with your family, to feel loved, and to fill up your stomach with good food. These things define most of our Christmas traditions I bet. One Christmas tradition perhaps that is not usually talked about as much, but never misses in any Christmas is Christmas stories. Be it through a Christmas play by your local church or through the countless Christmas movies that miraculously pop up during Christmas season, or even through a book that you read, Christmas stories are there and they play a big role in our lives or rather in our Christmas experiences. 

My first Christmas story that really left an impact was The story of the Elves and the Shoemaker. And when I say first trust me I mean first, this was the first-ever storybook that my parents ever bought for me as a little girl, and as a result, I went with it everywhere(yes I was a reader from birth…lol) and I memorized every word in that little ladybug book. I even dreamt of owning the ladybug publishing company, such goals. 😂😂

If you have time, let me tell you the story;

A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, became so poor that at last, he had nothing left but enough leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut the leather into the shape of the shoes, and he left his work on the table to finish in the morning. He lay down quietly in his bed, and before he fell asleep he asked God to help him. In the morning, just as he was about to sit down to work, he saw the two shoes standing quite finished on his table. He was astounded and did not know what to make of it. He took the shoes in his hands to look at them more closely and he saw that they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them. It was just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.

Soon after, a customer came into the shop, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more than the usual price. Now the shoemaker had enough money to buy leather for two pairs of shoes. That night, he cut out the leather, and the next morning he was about to set to work with fresh hope for the future when he saw that the shoes were already made. There was no shortage of customers who wanted the shoes, and the shoemaker soon had enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.

The following morning he found the four pairs were made – and so it went on; any leather that he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning. Soon he was no longer poor, and he even became quite rich. Now one evening, not long before Christmas, the man finished cutting out the leather as usual. This time he said to his wife: “Let’s stay up tonight to see who it is that lends us this helping hand?”The woman liked the idea and lighted a candle. Then they hid themselves in a corner of the room behind some clothes which were hanging up there and watched.

When it was midnight, two little elves came into the room, both without any clothes on, and sat down by the shoemaker’s table. They took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch, sew, and hammer so skillfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker could not turn away his eyes for astonishment. They did not stop until all was done and stood finished on the table, and then they ran quickly away.

The next morning the woman said: “The little men have made us rich, and we really must show that we are grateful for it. They run about so, but have nothing on, and must be cold. I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I will make them little shirts, coats, vests, and trousers, and knit both of them a pair of stockings. You can help too – make them two little pairs of shoes.”

The man said: “I shall be very glad to do it.” One night, when everything was ready, they laid their presents altogether on the table instead of the cut-out work. Then they hid themselves to see what the little men would do. At midnight they came bounding in, wanting to get to work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the pretty little articles of clothing, they were at first puzzled – and then delighted. They dressed themselves very quickly, putting the pretty clothes on, and singing, “Now we are boys so fine to see, why should we longer cobblers be?”

They danced and skipped and leaped over chairs and benches. At last, they danced out of the doors. From that time on, they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived, all went well with him, and all his business prospered.

I have told this story courtesy of Claire Deakin from Storynory.  Find them on the link below;

The Elves and the Shoemaker

This is what I got from this story; see the shoemaker and his wife and the elves were all poor, but because of the spirit of Christmas, in this case, the ability to see another person’s needs and come to their help, even when you yourself are not okay, leads to a Christmas miracle. Believe it or not, I have lived this story since I was a child, and I believe in it, I believe in Christmas miracles. I wonder if you do though, let me know in the comment section down below.

Merry Christmas 2020 from Noanne 🌲🌲🌲