When I was a child, my family had a few records of stories for children. I remember we had Peter and the Wolf as well as The Elves and the Shoemaker. I particularly loved The Elves and the Shoemaker – it was the one by Freya Littledale, illustrated by Brinton Turkle, and narrated by Alan Mills.
We could follow the story along with the record in the book, and I loved it – the pictures, the narration, and the story.
What strikes me now, thinking about this story, is that the magic wasn’t only that there were little elves making the shoes overnight with amazing skill, it was also that the right customers always turned up for the shoes that were made. The type and number of shoes being made changed each day, but somehow the right number of customers with the right size feet came by and bought them. It’s something that I didn’t even question about this story as a child.
There are so many positive messages in this story: good workmanship being recognized by customers, investing profits back into your business, and kindness to those who have helped you.
Once we’ve got our books unpacked I’ll have to search out the copy I bought on EBay a while back and get the record turned into a digital format so that my kids can enjoy this story too.
I’m very thankful for all my elves – the test knitters, friends & models who help me make my patterns a reality. I couldn’t do this alone.
