Answer: The original story is the first of three fairy tales contained as entry 39 in the German Grimm's Fairy Tales under the common title "Die Wichtelmänner". In her translation of 1884 Margaret Hunt chose The Elves as title for these three stories.[2]
The first tale is of Aarne-Thompson (AT) type 503* ('Helpful Elves'), also classified as a migratory legend (AT-7015). The second is of AT 476* type ('A Widwife [or Godmother] for the Elves'), also categorized as a migratory legend (AT 5070). The third tale is of AT 504 type ('The Changeling'), also categorized as a migratory legend (AT 5085).[1]
Explanation:
