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

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

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

Cinderella's lefts and rights
To Geraldine's were frights,
And I trow
The damsel, deftly read more

Cinderella's lefts and rights
To Geraldine's were frights,
And I trow
The damsel, deftly shod,
Has dutifully trod
Until now.

Him that makes shoes go barefoot himself.

Him that makes shoes go barefoot himself.

. . . 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."

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

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

When we see a man with bad shoes, we say it is no wonder, if he
is a shoemaker.
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When we see a man with bad shoes, we say it is no wonder, if he
is a shoemaker.
[Fr., Quand nous veoyons un homme mal chausse, nous disons que ce
n'est pas merveille, s'il est chausstier.]

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

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