There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.
从前有个鞋匠，工作非常勤奋且十分诚实：但他仍无法赚取足够的生计；最终，他世间所有的一切都已耗尽，只剩下一块刚好够做一双鞋的皮革。
Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.
随后，他裁剪好皮革，准备次日制作，打算清晨早早起床开始工作。尽管身处种种困境，他的良心却安然无恙，内心也轻松自在；于是他安详地就寝，将一切忧虑托付给上天，不久便沉沉睡去。次日清晨，他在做完祷告后坐下开始工作，令他大为惊讶的是，一双鞋已经整整齐齐地摆在桌上。这位善良的老人面对如此奇事，一时不知该说些什么或作何感想。他仔细端详着做工，整双鞋没有一处针脚出错；一切如此整洁精准，简直堪称杰作。
The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand. Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pair more. He cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and well off again.
就在同一天，一位顾客进店试鞋，发现鞋子非常合脚，便欣然以高于平常的价格买下；那位可怜的鞋匠用这笔钱买了足够制作两双鞋的皮革。当晚他裁好料子，早早睡下，以便次日清晨能早点起床开工；然而他省去了所有麻烦，因为第二天早上醒来时，活儿已经全部完成并摆在手边了。很快又有顾客上门，慷慨地买下他的商品，使他再次买到足以制作四双鞋的皮革。他又在夜里裁好料子，次日清晨发现活儿依旧已完成，和之前一样。如此持续了一段时间：每晚准备好的活儿总在黎明前完成，这位善良的人不久便重新变得富裕起来。
One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, ‘I should like to sit up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.’ The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hung up there, and watched what would happen.
一个圣诞前后的夜晚，他和妻子坐在炉火旁闲聊时，他对她说：‘今晚我想守夜看看，究竟是谁来替我干活。’妻子觉得这个主意不错，于是他们留了一盏灯亮着，躲在房间角落的帘子后面，观察接下来会发生什么。
As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.
午夜一到，两个光着身子的小矮人便走了进来；他们坐在鞋匠的长凳上，拿起所有已经裁好的皮料，用灵巧的手指开始忙碌起来，缝呀、敲呀、打呀，动作快得让鞋匠惊得目瞪口呆，眼睛一刻也舍不得离开他们。他们一直干到活儿全部完成，鞋子整整齐齐地摆在桌上，随时可以穿用。这一切都发生在天亮之前；随后他们便像闪电一样匆匆离去。
The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. ‘These little wights have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good turn if we can. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do; and indeed it is not very decent, for they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I’ll tell you what, I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into the bargain; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.’
第二天，妻子对鞋匠说："这些小家伙让我们发了财，我们应当感激他们，若能帮上忙就帮一把。我真不忍心看他们光着身子到处跑；而且这也不体面，因为他们身上连件御寒的衣服都没有。这样吧，我给每人做一件衬衫、一件外套和背心，再配一条裤子；你则给每人做一双小鞋。"
The thought pleased the good cobbler very much; and one evening, when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to watch what the little elves would do.
这个想法让那位善良的老鞋匠非常高兴；一天晚上，当所有东西都准备就绪后，他们把那些小精灵做的东西放在桌上，代替了平时用来裁剪的布料，然后躲起来，想看看小精灵们会做什么。
About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped round the room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled, and seemed mightily delighted.
大约午夜时分，他们来了，又唱又跳，在房间里蹦来蹦去，然后像往常一样坐下开始工作；但当他们看到为他们准备好的衣服时，便哈哈大笑，显得十分高兴。
Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered and sprang about, as merry as could be; till at last they danced out at the door, and away over the green.
于是他们眨眼间便穿好衣服，欢快地跳舞、蹦跳、翻跟头，直到最后从门口跳出，一路欢笑着跑向绿色的田野。
The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them from that time forward, as long as they lived.
那对好心的夫妇从此再也没见过他们，但自那以后直到终老，一切都很顺利。