Once upon a time, there was an old man named Max who lived in a small village. Max was a shoemaker and he had been making shoes for as long as anyone could remember. But one day, Max decided that he was going to retire.

All of the villagers were very surprised when they heard the news. They asked Max, "How long have you been making shoes?" And Max replied, "I've been making shoes for as long as I can remember."

The villagers were all very sad because they loved Max's shoes. They were the most comfortable shoes in the world and everyone in the village wore a pair. So, the villagers decided to have a meeting to figure out what they could do to keep Max from retiring.

At the meeting, one of the villagers asked Max, "Why do you want to retire?" Max replied, "I just feel like it's time for me to take it easy and enjoy my golden years."

The villagers thought about this for a minute and then one of them said, "We'll pay you a pound for every pair of shoes you make, and we'll sell them for twice that amount."

Max was very pleased with this idea and he agreed to keep making shoes. So, the villagers went out and started selling Max's shoes. And you know what? They were such a hit that the villagers started making more and more money.

The villagers were all very happy, and Max was happy too because he was making more money than he ever had before. And the best part? Max didn't even have to retire because he loved making shoes so much!

So, from that day on, Max continued to make shoes and the villagers continued to sell them. And everyone lived happily ever after, all because they believed in the power of hard work and teamwork.

Reflections

1. Why did Max want to retire in the first place?
2. How did the villagers convince Max to continue making shoes?
3. What did the villagers do with the shoes Max made?
4. Why was everyone in the village happy in the end?
5. What do you think the moral of the story is?