Claus Leaves the Forest

When good Queen Zurline had touched the golden chalice with her fair lips and it had passed around the circle in honor of the travelers' return, the Master Woodsman of the World, who had not yet spoken, turned his gaze frankly upon Claus and said:

"Well?"

The boy understood, and rose slowly to his feet beside Necile. Once only his eyes passed around the familiar circle of nymphs, every one of whom he remembered as a loving comrade; but tears came unbidden to dim his sight, so he gazed thereafter steadfastly at the Master.

"I have been ignorant," said he, simply, "until the great Ak in his kindness taught me who and what I am. You, who live so sweetly in your forest bowers, ever fair and youthful and innocent, are no fit comrades for a son of humanity. For I have looked upon man, finding him doomed to live for a brief space upon earth, to toil for the things he needs, to fade into old age, and then to pass away as the leaves in autumn. Yet every man has his mission, which is to leave the world better, in some way, than he found it. I am of the race of men, and man's lot is my lot. For your tender care of the poor, forsaken babe you adopted, as well as for your loving comradeship during my boyhood, my heart will ever overflow with gratitude. My foster-mother," here he stopped and kissed Necile's white forehead, "I shall love and cherish while life lasts. But I must leave you, to take my part in the endless struggle to which humanity is doomed, and to live my life in my own way."

"What will you do?" asked the Queen, gravely.

"I must devote myself to the care of the children of mankind, and try to make them happy," he answered. "Since your own tender care of a babe brought to me happiness and strength, it is just and right that I devote my life to the pleasure of other babes. Thus will the memory of the loving nymph Necile be planted within the hearts of thousands of my race for many years to come, and her kindly act be recounted in song and in story while the world shall last. Have I spoken well, O Master?"

The Elves and the Shoemaker

Once there lived a shoemaker and her husband. They were very poor indeed. The husband took care of the house and meals while his wife was at her workbench. “We’re down to our last piece of leather,” said the shoemaker. “I have enough to cut out one more pair of boots to sell. With all the big factories springing up all over the city, it’s hard to make a living as a shoemaker these days.” With a sigh, the shoemaker cut out the last strip of leather and left it on her workbench.

Lo and behold, the next morning there was a beautiful pair of leather boots sitting on the workbench. A young man came into the shop and paid a generous price for the boots. Word spread, and soon there were at least a dozen orders for more boots. The shoemaker was delighted and used the money to buy enough leather for 2 more pairs. As before, she left the cut leather on her workbench. Sure enough, in the morning, she found 2 beautiful pairs of boots. Then she bought leather for 4 pairs of boots, and so it went for 10 days! The shoemaker and her husband were written up in the newspaper and became famous in their town.