After the shoemaker fell asleep, Iva pulled out his whistle and summoned Lame and Crooked. “Make the shoes that Yelena the Beautiful wants.”
“We obey.” Saying this, Lame and Crooked nodded.
Ivan then went to sleep.
When he woke up, the shoes were lying beside his table shining like fire.
Ivan woke up the shoemaker. “It is early in the morning and it is time that you woke up.”
The shoemaker woke up with a start. “Is it morning already.” The shoemaker was sad. “Quickly give me some spirits. I do not want to be away when they hang me.”
Ivan calmed the shoemaker. “The shoes are ready.”
The shoemaker was stunned when he saw the shoes. Ivan continued. “We cut and sewed the shoes at night.”
The shoemaker admitted that he did not remember anything.
But he took the shoes and ran towards the palace.
Yelena the Beautiful saw the shoes and immediately realized that mountain spirits had made the shoes. She looked quizzically at the shoemaker. “How did you make the shoes?”
The shoemaker himself was not sure. So he looked worried and did not tell Yelena the truth. “I know how to do everything.”
Yelena studied the shoemaker again. “In that case, make a wedding robe for me embroidered with gold and diamonds.”
This time too Yelena threatened to hang the shoemaker if the robe was not ready by the next morning.
Adapted from Russian Folktales
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