Shoemaker Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there was a poor shoemaker. He had many children. To support his family, he traveled from village to village, carrying his toolbox and making shoes. One day, he set off with his toolbox to an unfamiliar village. Since it was a road he had never traveled before, the shoemaker got lost. Night fell. Eventually, he came across an abandoned house standing alone in the field. The shoemaker entered the empty winter dwelling, climbed onto the stove, and laid down with his toolbox as a pillow. After a while, he heard a loud rumbling noise. When the shoemaker looked towards the door, he saw a giant coming in with a single shining eye on his forehead.

— Who is that lying on the stove? – asked the giant. The shoemaker replied:

— It is a shoemaker.

— Are you the skilled shoemaker we need? – the giant said. Then the giant commanded:

— Come here, craftsman, and enter this house. If you can make a marvelous pair of shoes by tomorrow, you will live. But if you fail, I will take your head, – and he let the shoemaker inside. The giant lay down at the door and fell asleep. The shoemaker thought to himself:

— My life is over; if I die, who will take care of my children? – and he felt terrified. With no other options, the shoemaker stayed up all night and crafted a pair of magnificent shoes. The shoes were different from others in that their tips were straight and sharply pointed, rising high. They had a miraculous quality: whoever wore them could soar into the sky and reach their destination in an instant. However, knowing that the giant wouldn’t let him go easily, he thought:

— I will die at the giant's hands anyway. It’s better for me to kill this giant myself, – and took his sharp knife. When the giant seemed to be sound asleep, the shoemaker put on the shoes and went outside. Soaring into the air, he stabbed the giant in his single eye with his knife. The giant bellowed:

— If you are a man, strike me twice! – The shoemaker replied:

— One is enough, – and flew over the giant. The giant, wounded, died instantly. The shoemaker stood outside, thinking and pondering, then climbed onto the roof of the abandoned house to spend the night. When morning came, he explored the giant's home. In a dark corner of the house, he found an iron chest. The shoemaker managed to open the chest with great effort. Inside, it was filled with gold and silver. Afterward, the shoemaker took as much gold and silver as he needed, put on his magical shoes, and flew home. He shared half of the wealth he received from the giant with the orphans and widows in his village. Thus, the living conditions in the shoemaker's village improved, and they achieved their dreams. In his old age, the shoemaker was taken care of by his children.