. . . And holding out his shoe, asked them whether it was not new and
well made. "Yet," read more

. . . And holding out his shoe, asked them whether it was not new and
well made. "Yet," added he, "none of you can tell where it
pinches me."

A careless shoe string, in whose tie
I see a wilde civility.

A careless shoe string, in whose tie
I see a wilde civility.

To each foot its own shoe.
[Fr., A chaque pied son soulier.]

To each foot its own shoe.
[Fr., A chaque pied son soulier.]

I can tell where my own shoe pinches me.

I can tell where my own shoe pinches me.

One said he wondered that leather was not dearer than any other
thing. Being demanded a reason: because, saith read more

One said he wondered that leather was not dearer than any other
thing. Being demanded a reason: because, saith he, it is more
stood upon than any other thing in the world.
- William Hazlitt,

Oh, where did hunter win
So delicate a skin
For her feet?
You lucky read more

Oh, where did hunter win
So delicate a skin
For her feet?
You lucky little kid,
You perished, so you did,
For my sweet.

As he cobbled and hammered from morning till dark,
With the footgear to mend on his knees,
read more

As he cobbled and hammered from morning till dark,
With the footgear to mend on his knees,
Stitching patches, or pegging on soles as he sang,
Out of tune, ancient catches and glees.

Hans Grovendraad, an honest clown,
By cobbling in his native town,
Had earned a living ever.
read more

Hans Grovendraad, an honest clown,
By cobbling in his native town,
Had earned a living ever.
His work was strong and clean and fine,
And none who served at Crispin's shrine
Was at his trade more clever.

The fairy stitching gleams
On the sides and in the seams,
And it shows
read more

The fairy stitching gleams
On the sides and in the seams,
And it shows
That Pixies were the wags
Who tipped these funny tags
And these toes.