SimondidasMichaeladvised，andundertooktomakebootsthatwouldnotloseshapeorsplitforawholeyear。
Callinghisservant，thegentlemantoldhimtopullthebootoffhisleftleg，whichhestretchedout。
’Takemymeasure！’saidhe。
Simonstitchedapapermeasureseventeenincheslong，smootheditout，kneltdown，wipedhishandswellonhisapronsoasnottosoilthegentleman’ssock，andbegantomeasure。Hemeasuredthesole，androundtheinstep，andbegantomeasurethecalfoftheleg，butthepaperwastooshort。Thecalfofthelegwasasthickasabeam。
’Mindyoudon’tmakeittootightintheleg。’
Simonstitchedonanotherstripofpaper。Thegentlemantwitchedhistoesaboutinhissock，lookingroundatthoseinthehut，andashedidsohenoticedMichael。
’Whomhaveyouthere？’askedhe’Thatismyworkman。Hewillsewtheboots。’
’Mind，’saidthegentlemantoMichael，’remembertomakethemsothattheywilllastmeayear。’
SimonalsolookedatMichael，andsawthatMichaelwasnotlookingatthegentleman，butwasgazingintothecornerbehindthegentleman，asifhesawsomeonethere。Michaellookedandlooked，andsuddenlyhesmiled，andhisfacebecamebrighter。
’Whatareyougrinningat，youfool？’thunderedthegentleman。’Youhadbetterlooktoitthatthebootsarereadyintime。’
’Theyshallbereadyingoodtime，’saidMichael。
’Minditisso，’saidthegentleman，andheputonhisbootsandhisfurcoat，wrappedthelatterroundhim，andwenttothedoor。
Butheforgottostoopandstruckhisheadagainstthelintel。
Hesworeandrubbedhishead。Thenhetookhisseatinthecarriageanddroveaway。
Whenhehadgone，Simonsaid:’There’safigureofamanforyou！Youcouldnotkillhimwithamallet。Healmostknockedoutthelintel，butlittleharmitdidhim。’
AndMatryó；nasaid:’Livingashedoes，howshouldhenotgrowstrong？Deathitselfcan’ttouchsucharockasthat。’
ThenSimonsaidtoMichael:’Well，wehavetakenthework，butwemustseewedon’tgetintotroubleoverit。Theleatherisdear，andthegentlemanhot-tempered。Wemustmakenomistakes。Come，youreyeistruerandyourhandshavebecomenimblerthanmine，soyoutakethismeasureandcutouttheboots。
Iwillfinishoffthesewingofthevamps。’
Michaeldidashewastold。Hetooktheleatherspreaditoutonthetable，foldeditintwo，tookaknifeandbegantocutout。
Matryó；nacameandwatchedhimcutting，andwassurprisedtoseehowhewasdoingit。Matryó；nawasaccustomedtoseeingbootsmade，andshelookedandsawthatMichaelwasnotcuttingtheleatherforboots，butwascuttingitround。
Shewishedtosaysomething，butshethoughttoherself:’PerhapsI
donotunderstandhowgentlemen’sbootsshouldbemade。
IsupposeMichaelknowsmoreaboutit——andIwon’tinterfere。’
WhenMichaelhadcutuptheleather，hetookathreadandbegantosewnotwithtwoends，asbootsaresewn，butwithasingleend，asforsoftslippers。
AgainMatryó；nawondered，butagainshedidnotinterfere。Michaelsewedonsteadilytillnoon。ThenSimonrosefordinner，lookedaround，andsawthatMichaelhadmadeslippersoutofthegentleman’sleather。
’Ah！’groanedSimon，andhethought，’HowisitthatMichael，whohasbeenwithmeawholeyearandnevermadeamistakebefore，shoulddosuchadreadfulthing？Thegentlemanorderedhighboots，welted，withwholefronts，andMichaelhasmadesoftslipperswithsinglesoles，andhaswastedtheleather。WhatamItosaytothegentleman？Icanneverreplaceleathersuchasthis。’
AndhesaidtoMichael，’Whatareyoudoingfriend？Youhaveruinedme！Youknowthegentlemanorderedhighboothbutseewhatyouhavemade！’
HardlyhadhebeguntorebukeMichael，when’rat-tat，wenttheironringthathungatthedoor。Someonewasknocking。Theylookedoutofthewindow；amanhadcomeonhorseback，andwasfasteninghishorse。Theyopenedthedoor，andtheservantwhohadbeenwiththegentlemancamein。
’Goodday，’saidhe。
’Goodday，’repliedSimon。’Whatcanwedoforyou？’
’Mymistresshassentmeabouttheboots。’
’Whatabouttheboots？’
’Why，mymasternolongerneedsthem。Heisdead。’
’Isitpossible？’
’Hedidnotlivetogethomeafterleavingyou，butdiedinthecarriage。
Whenwereachedhomeandtheservantscametohelphimalightherolledoverlikeasack。Hewasdeadalready，andsostiffthathecouldhardlybegotoutofthecarriage。Mymistresssentmehere，saying:“Tellthebootmakerthatthegentlemanwhoorderedbootsofhimandlefttheleatherforthemnolongerneedstheboots，butthathemustquicklymakesoftslippersforthecorpse。Waittilltheyareready，andbringthembackwithyou。“ThatiswhyIhavecome。’
Michaelgathereduptheremnantsoftheleather；rolledthemup，tookthesoftslippershehadmade，slappedthemtogether，wipedthemdownwithhisapron，andhandedthemandtherollofleathertotheservant，whotookthemandsaid:’Good-bye，mastersandgooddaytoyou！’
Anotheryearpassed，andanother，andMichaelwasnowlivinghissixthyearwithSimon。Helivedasbefore。Hewentnowhere，onlyspokewhennecessary，andhadonlysmiledtwiceinallthoseyears——oncewhenMatryó；nagavehimfood，andasecondtimewhenthegentlemanwasintheirhut。Simonwasmorethanpleasedwithhisworkman。Henevernowaskedhimwherehecamefrom，andonlyfearedlestMichaelshouldgoaway。
Theywereallathomeoneday。Matryó；nawasputtingironpotsintheoven，thechildrenwererunningalongthebenchesandlookingoutofthewindow；Simonwassewingatonewindow，andMichaelwasfasteningonaheelattheother。
OneoftheboysranalongthebenchtoMichael，leantonhisshoulder，andlookedoutofthewindow。
’Look，UncleMichael！Thereisaladywithlittlegirls！Sheseemstobecominghere。Andoneofthegirlsislame。’
Whentheboysaidthat，Michaeldroppedhiswork，turnedtothewindow，andlookedoutintothestreet。
Simonwassurprised。Michaelneverusedtolookoutintothestreet，butnowhepressedagainstthewindow，staringatsomething。Simonalsolookedout，andsawthatawell-dressedwomanwasreallycomingtohishut，leadingbythehandtwolittlegirlsinfurcoatsandwoollenshawls。Thegirlscouldhardlybetoldonefromtheother，exceptthatoneofthemwascrippledinherleftlegandwalkedwithalimp。
Thewomansteppedintotheporchandenteredthepassage。Feelingaboutfortheentranceshefoundthelatch，whichshelifted，andopenedthedoor。Sheletthetwogirlsgoinfirst，andfollowedthemintothehut。
’Goodday，goodfolk！’
’Praycomein，’saidSimon。’Whatcanwedoforyou？’
Thewomansatdownbythetable。Thetwolittlegirlspressedclosetoherknees，afraidofthepeopleinthehut。
’Iwantleathershoesmadeforthesetwolittlegirls，forspring。’
’Wecandothat。Weneverhavemadesuchsmallshoes，butwecanmakethem；eitherweltedorturnovershoes，linenlined。
Myman，Michael，isamasteratthework。’
SimonglancedatMichaelandsawthathehadlefthisworkandwassittingwithhiseyesfixedonthelittlegirls。Simonwassurprised。Itwastruethegirlswerepretty，withblackeyes，plump，androsy-cheeked，andtheyworenicekerchiefsandfurcoats，butstillSimoncouldnotunderstandwhyMichaelshouldlookatthemlikethat——justasifhehadknownthembefore。
Hewaspuzzled，butwentontalkingwiththewoman，andarrangingtheprice。Havingfixedit，hepreparedthemeasure。Thewomanliftedthelamegirlontoherlapandsaid:’Taketwomeasuresfromthislittlegirl。Makeoneshoeforthelamefootandthreeforthesoundone。Theybothhavethesamesizedfeet。Theyaretwins。’
Simontookthemeasureand，speakingofthelamegirl，said:’Howdidithappentoher？Sheissuchaprettygirl。Wasshebornso？’
’No，hermothercrushedherleg。’
