The Elves and the Shoemaker
A tale retold from Household Stories, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
This story comes from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published in the nineteenth century. The Grimms collected fairy tales and folktales from Germany and wrote them down so families could share them. This tale shows kindness returned with kindness: the elves help a poor shoemaker, and the shoemaker thanks them with gifts. It is a story worth reading because it teaches children that gratitude and generosity create joy. This text reflects its era.
- Band
- Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5
- Length
- short · about 334 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
- Source
- Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
- First published
- see the About page in the reader
- Regions
- Canada · United States
Included formats
- · Web reader and PDF
- · EPUB for e-readers
- · Home-print sheet
- · Folded booklet
- · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
- · Worksheet
- · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
- · Read-aloud script
- · Colouring page
- · Teacher’s Edition (members)
Lesson at a glance
- Reading
- about 8 minutes at this band
- Pause questions
- 5
- Words to Know
- 4
- Quick Check
- 6 questions, with the answer key
- Let’s Talk
- 3 questions for afterwards
- Worksheet
- questions, an activity and a drawing prompt
About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.
Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.
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The same story
Other bands of this story
This story is ready now at the Purple band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.