The Elves and the Shoemaker
In Grimms' The Elves and the Shoemaker a poor shoemaker has leather to make only one pair of shoes but many bills to pay. He cuts out the leather and leaves the shoes for sewing. The next morning the pieces have been transformed into an exquisite pair of shoes, so fine they sell for a fortune. This magic is repeated until he is quite wealthy. But his wife wishes to know where the beautiful shoes come from, and so the two stay up and spy. They discover that every night a band of elves visit and stitch the leather into gorgeous shoes. However the elves do not like to be seen, and having been discovered by the shoemaker never again return. But the shoemaker now has such a reputation that this is of no concern, as customers are plentiful and he is able to make a pretty good living on his own.
