**TEXT 2: CHOSEN IN CLASS**
The Elves and the Shoemaker
Once upon a time there was an honest shoemaker who was very poor. He worked as hard as he could, and still he
could not earn enough to keep himself and his wife. At last there came a day when he had nothing left but one piece of
leather, big enough to make one pair of shoes. He cut out the shoes, ready to stitch, and left them on the bench; then he
said his prayers and went to bed, trusting that he could finish the shoes the next day and sell them.
Early the next morning, he rose and went to his workbench and discovered there a pair of shoes, beautifully made.
The leather was gone, and there was no sign of anyone having been there. The shoemaker and his wife did not know what
to make of it. Then the first customer who came was so pleased with the beautiful shoes that he bought them, and paid so
much that the shoemaker was able to buy leather enough for two pairs.
Happily, he cut them out, and then, as it was late, he left the pieces on the bench, ready to sew in the morning. But
when morning came, two pairs of shoes lay on the bench, most beautifully made, and no sign of anyone who had been
there. It was another puzzle. That day a customer came and bought both pairs, and paid so much for them that the
shoemaker bought leather for four pairs, with the money.
Once more he cut out the shoes and left them on the bench. As before, the next morning he discovered that all
four pairs were made.
It went on like this until the shoemaker and his wife were prosperous. They were concerned, they could not be
satisfied to have so much done for them and not know to whom they should be grateful. So one night, after the shoemaker
had left the pieces of leather on the bench, he and his wife hid themselves behind a curtain, and left a light in the room.
Just as the clock struck twelve, the door opened softly and two tiny elves came dancing into the room, hopped on
to the bench, and began to put the pieces together. They were quiet, they made little conversation, and they had brought
tiny scissors and hammers and thread. Tap! Tap! went the little hammers; stitch, stitch, went the thread, and the little elves
were hard at work. No one ever worked so fast as they. In almost no time all the shoes were stitched and finished. Then
the little creatures whisked away out of the window.
The shoemaker and his wife looked at each other and said, "How can we thank the little elves who have made us
happy and prosperous?"
"I should like to make them some pretty clothes," said the wife.
"I will make the shoes if you will make the coats," said her husband.
That very day they worked on this surprise for the elves. The wife cut out two tiny, tiny coats of green, two little
pairs of trousers, of white, two very small caps, bright red, and her husband made two little pairs of shoes with long,
pointed toes. They made the clothes as good-looking as could be, with nice little stitches and pretty buttons. By Christmas
time, they were finished.
On Christmas Eve, the shoemaker cleaned his bench, and on it, instead of leather, he laid the two sets of clothes.
Then he and his wife hid away as before, to watch.
Promptly at midnight, the little elves came in. They hopped upon the bench; but when they saw the little clothes
there, they laughed and danced for joy. Each one caught up his little coat and things and began to put them on. They were
so happy. Then, when the clock struck two, they left smiling.
They never came back any more, but from that day they gave the shoemaker and his wife good luck, so that they
never need any more help.
STEP 1: Look at the Text
My first step to evaluating a new text is simply to look over the text and take note of anything on the page that
will help me predict the type of genre.
On a chart or in my head, I would go over “What I See…” and extend to consider “What this means…” about
the possible content, purpose, and structure of the text.
W.I.S
W.I.M
I see that the title of the text is “The Elves and the
Shoemaker.”
This means that the content may be made-up
because elves are unrealistic and made-up
creatures.
I see that the text is structured into multiple
paragraphs.
This means that the structure of the text may be
narrative because there are no sections; I may need
to read from the beginning to the end without
skimming.
I see that the text starts with the line, “Once upon a
time…”
This means that the purpose of the text may to be to
entertain because I know that “Once upon a time” is
a lead often used in fairy tales.
From my previewing of the text, I’m thinking that this text will be nonfiction, but I’ll have to read on to find out!
STEP 2: Read to Understand
After previewing the text, my next step is to read the full text to understand what it is about.
STEP 3: Re-Read to Evaluate
For my next step, I will now re-read the text to look closely at the text’s content, purpose, and structure in order
to gather evidence and details to support my genre claim.
To help me gather observations, I might make a quick chart in my notebook or on scrap paper to collect what I
see in the text.
-
-
Content and Elements
Made up
Focuses on the experience
of characters (elves,
shoemaker, shoemaker’s
wife)
Setting is realistic, but
does not actually exist
Conflict and resolution
-
Structure
Narrative
Plot developed with a clear
beginning, middle, and end
To understand big idea,
must read from the
beginning
-
-
Purpose
To entertain
No facts or specific
information presented to
teach about a topic
No argument/stance made
about a topic
STEP 4: Box and Bullet Organizer
From my evaluation of the content, purpose, and structure of the text, I can now reflect on the data I’ve
collected to develop my genre claim.
To plan my claim for writing, I use a box and bullet organizer to identify my claim, organize my supporting
reasons, and assemble my evidence and details.
“The Elves and the Shoemaker” is a fictional text.

The content of the text is made-up.
- Focuses on the experience of characters (elves, shoemaker, shoemaker’s wife)
- Occurs in a setting that is life-like, but made up
- Conflict (shoemaker wants to make more money) is realistic, but solved in an unbelievable way

The structure of the text is narrative.
- Develops a plot (B: meet characters and introduce problem / M: events that lead to turning point / E:
conflict solved)
- Must be read from B-M-E to understand

The purpose of the text is to entertain.
- No factual information included about a topic to teach audience
- No argument presented to change the thinking of the audience
STEP 5: Write!
By following my box and bullet organizer AND adding in my own words to explain, I can construct my
paragraph.
“The Elves and the Shoemaker” is a fictional text. First of all, the content of the text is created by the
author. The text focuses on the experiences of the shoemaker, the shoemaker’s wife, and the elves, which are
all characters as they are made-up people and creatures that do not exist in the real world. Also, the solution to
the conflict developed in the text is unrealistic because magical elves cannot solve problems in the world
today. Additionally, the narrative structure of the text reveals that it is fictional. “The Elves and the Shoemaker”
follows a plot structure that develops a clear beginning, middle, and end. Due to this structure, readers must
start reading from the beginning in order to understand who the characters are, what is going on, and where
events are taking place. Readers cannot jump within the text to start at the middle or end because they will not
understand what is happening within the story. Furthermore, the primary purpose of the text is to entertain the
reading audience. The author neither includes facts or research-based information to teach the audience about
a specific topic nor does the author present a specific argumentative stance on a topic that he tries to persuade
readers to agree with. Therefore, the content, structure, and purpose of “The Elves and the Shoemaker” reveal
that the text is fictional.