The Cunning Shoemaker facts for kids

"The Cunning Shoemaker" is a fun Italian fairy tale. It was collected by Laura Gonzenbach in her book Sicilianische Mahrchen. Andrew Lang also included this story in his famous The Pink Fairy Book. This tale is about a very clever shoemaker who uses his wits to outsmart a group of robbers.

The Cunning Shoemaker's Clever Tricks

The Magical Money Donkey

A shoemaker left his home to find work in another town. He worked hard and earned enough money to buy a donkey. On his way back home, he saw some robbers nearby. To keep his money safe, he quickly hid it in the donkey's long hair, called its mane.

The donkey shook its head, and the money fell out! The shoemaker quickly thought of a plan. He told the robbers that his donkey was special. He claimed it could make money out of thin air. The robbers were amazed and wanted the donkey.

They bought the donkey for fifty gold pieces. The shoemaker told them they should each keep the donkey for one night. This way, they would not argue over the "magic" money. One by one, the robbers realized they had been tricked. But they said nothing, hoping the others would also be fooled.

Finally, they all talked and realized the shoemaker had tricked them all. They decided to get their revenge.

The Amazing Guitar Trick

The shoemaker saw the robbers coming back. He quickly told his wife to put a bag of animal blood around her neck. When the thieves arrived, the shoemaker said he would give them their money back. He asked his wife to get it.

When she was slow, the shoemaker pretended to be angry. He stabbed the bag of blood around her neck. His wife fell down as if she was not alive. The robbers were shocked! Then, the shoemaker started playing his guitar. His wife suddenly got up, looking perfectly fine!

The robbers were amazed by this "magic" guitar. They believed it could bring people back to life. They bought the guitar from the shoemaker for forty more gold pieces. Each robber then went home and tried the trick on his own wife. Sadly, it did not work for them, and their wives did not get up.

The Messenger Dog Trick

The robbers were very angry and set out to find the shoemaker again. The shoemaker saw them coming. He told his wife to let their dog out when the robbers arrived. He also told her to say she sent the dog to fetch her husband. Then, the shoemaker hid in a vineyard nearby.

When the thieves arrived, his wife did exactly as she was told. She let the dog go. Soon after, the shoemaker returned to the house. The robbers believed the dog had gone to get him. They thought the dog was a special messenger.

They bought the dog from him for forty more gold pieces. Each robber tried to send the dog to get someone. But the dog just ran back to the shoemaker every time.

The Pigs from the Sea

Finally, the robbers caught the shoemaker. They put him in a large bag and carried him towards the sea. It was a hot day, so they stopped to rest near a church. A swineherd, a person who takes care of pigs, came by with his herd.

The shoemaker, still in the bag, called out to the swineherd. He told him he was in the bag because people wanted him to marry the king's daughter, but he did not want to. The swineherd was excited by this idea. He traded places with the shoemaker. The shoemaker then left with the pigs.

The robbers, thinking the shoemaker was still in the bag, threw it into the sea. Later, they saw the shoemaker with a large herd of pigs. He told them there were many pigs at the bottom of the sea. He said they had to tie a heavy stone around their necks to reach them. The robbers believed him. They tied stones to themselves and jumped into the sea, but sadly, they did not survive.