The Elves and the Shoemaker · chapter 2 of 3
The Midnight Visitors
半夜的小客人
Night after night, the shoes finish themselves. A few nights before Christmas, the shoemaker and his wife hide in the corner to see who is helping them.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 天天晚上，老鞋匠剪好皮子。天天早上，新鞋都做好了。
Tiāntiān wǎnshang, lǎo xiéjiang jiǎnhǎo pízi. Tiāntiān zǎoshang, xīn xié dōu zuòhǎo le.
Every night, the old shoemaker cut out the leather. Every morning, the new shoes were finished.
- The Customer 老鞋匠，我又来了！我的朋友们，都想要你的鞋！
Lǎo xiéjiang, wǒ yòu lái le! Wǒ de péngyoumen, dōu xiǎng yào nǐ de xié!
Shoemaker, I'm back! All my friends want your shoes!
- The Shoemaker 好，好！两双，四双，八双……明天早上都有！
Hǎo, hǎo! Liǎng shuāng, sì shuāng, bā shuāng… míngtiān zǎoshang dōu yǒu!
Yes, yes! Two pairs, four pairs, eight pairs… they'll all be ready tomorrow morning!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Elves and the Shoemaker is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- The Shoemaker's Wife 老头子，我们有钱了！不用吃半个面包了！
Lǎotóuzi, wǒmen yǒu qián le! Búyòng chī bàn gè miànbāo le!
Old man, we have money now! No more half loaves of bread!
- Narrator 圣诞节快到了。这天晚上，外边下着大雪。
Shèngdànjié kuài dào le. Zhè tiān wǎnshang, wàibian xiàzhe dà xuě.
Christmas was coming. That night, heavy snow was falling outside.
- The Shoemaker 老伴儿，天天有人帮我们做鞋。是谁呢？
Lǎobànr, tiāntiān yǒu rén bāng wǒmen zuò xié. Shì shéi ne?
Dear, someone makes our shoes for us every single day. Who can it be?
- The Shoemaker's Wife 我也天天在想！那么小的脚印……我真想看一看！
Wǒ yě tiāntiān zài xiǎng! Nàme xiǎo de jiǎoyìn… Wǒ zhēn xiǎng kàn yi kàn!
I wonder about it every day too! Those tiny footprints… I'd love to see who's making them!
- The Shoemaker 那今天晚上，我们不睡了。我们在这儿等！
Nà jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒmen bú shuì le. Wǒmen zài zhèr děng!
Then tonight, we won't go to bed. We'll wait right here!
- The Shoemaker's Wife 好！灯开着。我们站在墙角的大衣后边。
Hǎo! Dēng kāizhe. Wǒmen zhàn zài qiángjiǎo de dàyī hòubian.
Good! We'll leave the light on and stand behind the coats in the corner.
- The Shoemaker 好困啊……我的眼睛，不想开了……
Hǎo kùn a… wǒ de yǎnjing, bù xiǎng kāi le…
So sleepy… my eyes… don't want to stay open…
- The Shoemaker's Wife 老头子！别睡！
Lǎotóuzi! Bié shuì!
Old man! Don't fall asleep!
- The Shoemaker 我没睡！我……我在想事情！
Wǒ méi shuì! Wǒ… wǒ zài xiǎng shìqing!
I'm not asleep! I… I'm thinking!
- Narrator 半夜十二点，两个小精灵跑了进来。
Bànyè shí'èr diǎn, liǎng gè xiǎo jīnglíng pǎo le jìnlái.
At midnight, two little elves came running in.
- Big Brother Elf 弟弟，快！上桌子！今天有八双鞋要做！
Dìdi, kuài! Shàng zhuōzi! Jīntiān yǒu bā shuāng xié yào zuò!
Little brother, hurry! Up on the table! There are eight pairs to make tonight!
- Little Brother Elf 哥哥，等等我！外边好冷啊……
Gēge, děngdeng wǒ! Wàibian hǎo lěng a…
Big brother, wait for me! It's so cold outside…
- The Shoemaker's Wife 老头子，你看！是两个小精灵！
Lǎotóuzi, nǐ kàn! Shì liǎng gè xiǎo jīnglíng!
Old man, look! It's two little elves!
- The Shoemaker 这么小！还没有椅子高！
Zhème xiǎo! Hái méiyǒu yǐzi gāo!
So small! They're not even as tall as a chair!
- Big Brother Elf 一、二、三，当当当！一双鞋，做好了！
Yī, èr, sān, dāng dāng dāng! Yì shuāng xié, zuòhǎo le!
One, two, three, tap, tap, tap! One pair of shoes, all done!
- Little Brother Elf 一、二、三，拉拉线！又一双，做好了！
Yī, èr, sān, lāla xiàn! Yòu yì shuāng, zuòhǎo le!
One, two, three, pull the thread! Another pair, all done!
- The Shoemaker 他们的小手，真快啊！
Tāmen de xiǎo shǒu, zhēn kuài a!
Their little hands are so fast!
- The Shoemaker's Wife 老头子，你不是说，好鞋子要慢慢做吗？
Lǎotóuzi, nǐ bú shì shuō, hǎo xiézi yào mànmàn zuò ma?
Old man, didn't you say good shoes take time?
- The Shoemaker 我……我说错了。
Wǒ… wǒ shuōcuò le.
I… I was wrong.
- Big Brother Elf 好了，八双！弟弟，天快亮了，走吧！
Hǎo le, bā shuāng! Dìdi, tiān kuài liàng le, zǒu ba!
There, eight pairs! Little brother, it's nearly morning. Let's go!
- Little Brother Elf 又要去外边……我的脚好冷啊！
Yòu yào qù wàibian… wǒ de jiǎo hǎo lěng a!
Out in the cold again… my feet are so cold!
- Narrator 两个小精灵跳下桌子，跑进了大雪里。
Liǎng gè xiǎo jīnglíng tiàoxià zhuōzi, pǎojìn le dà xuě lǐ.
The two little elves jumped down from the table and ran out into the snow.
- The Shoemaker's Wife 老头子，你看见了吗？他们穿得这么少，也没有鞋！
Lǎotóuzi, nǐ kànjiàn le ma? Tāmen chuān de zhème shǎo, yě méiyǒu xié!
Old man, did you see? They're wearing so little, and they don't have any shoes!
- The Shoemaker 他们天天给我们做鞋，可是自己没有鞋穿……
Tāmen tiāntiān gěi wǒmen zuò xié, kěshì zìjǐ méiyǒu xié chuān…
They make shoes for us night after night, but they have no shoes of their own…
- The Shoemaker's Wife 他们帮了我们，我们也要帮他们！我有一个好主意！
Tāmen bāng le wǒmen, wǒmen yě yào bāng tāmen! Wǒ yǒu yí gè hǎo zhǔyi!
They've helped us, so we'll help them too! I have a good idea!
- The Shoemaker 什么好主意？
Shénme hǎo zhǔyi?
What idea?
- The Shoemaker's Wife 明天晚上，桌子上不放皮子了。我们放……圣诞节礼物！
Míngtiān wǎnshang, zhuōzi shàng bú fàng pízi le. Wǒmen fàng… Shèngdànjié lǐwù!
Tomorrow night, we won't leave leather on the table. We'll leave… Christmas presents!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why do the shoemaker and his wife stay up that night?
“天天有人帮我们做鞋。是谁呢？……那今天晚上，我们不睡了。”
- Where do they wait and watch?
“我们站在墙角的大衣后边。”
- Who comes in at midnight?
“半夜十二点，两个小精灵跑了进来。”
- Why does the wife tease her husband while the elves work?
“他们的小手，真快啊！……你不是说，好鞋子要慢慢做吗？”
- What does the wife notice after the elves leave?
“他们穿得这么少，也没有鞋！”