There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. Andwhen she had grown up her father said: 'We will get her married.' 'Yes,'said the mother, 'if only someone would come who would have her.' Atlength a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was called Hans;but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really smart. 'Oh,' saidthe father, 'she has plenty of good sense'; and the mother said: 'Oh,she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear the flies coughing.''Well,' said Hans, 'if she is not really smart, I won't have her.' Whenthey were sitting at dinner and had eaten, the mother said: 'Elsie, gointo the cellar and fetch some beer.' Then Clever Elsie took the pitcherfrom the wall, went into the cellar, and tapped the lid briskly as shewent, so that the time might not appear long. When she was below shefetched herself a chair, and set it before the barrel so that she hadno need to stoop, and did not hurt her back or do herself any unexpectedinjury. Then she placed the can before her, and turned the tap, andwhile the beer was running she would not let her eyes be idle, butlooked up at the wall, and after much peering here and there, saw apick-axe exactly above her, which the masons had accidentally leftthere.

Then Clever Elsie began to weep and said: 'If I get Hans, and we havea child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar here to drawbeer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.' Then shesat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body, over themisfortune which lay before her. Those upstairs waited for the drink,but Clever Elsie still did not come. Then the woman said to the servant:'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is.' The maid went andfound her sitting in front of the barrel, screaming loudly. 'Elsie whydo you weep?' asked the maid. 'Ah,' she answered, 'have I not reason toweep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he grows big, and has todraw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fall on his head, and killhim.' Then said the maid: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat downbeside her and began loudly to weep over the misfortune. After a while,as the maid did not come back, and those upstairs were thirsty for thebeer, the man said to the boy: 'Just go down into the cellar and seewhere Elsie and the girl are.' The boy went down, and there sat CleverElsie and the girl both weeping together. Then he asked: 'Why are youweeping?' 'Ah,' said Elsie, 'have I not reason to weep? If I get Hans,and we have a child, and he grows big, and has to draw beer here, thepick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.' Then said the boy: 'Whata clever Elsie we have!' and sat down by her, and likewise began tohowl loudly. Upstairs they waited for the boy, but as he still did notreturn, the man said to the woman: 'Just go down into the cellar and seewhere Elsie is!' The woman went down, and found all three in the midstof their lamentations, and inquired what was the cause; then Elsie toldher also that her future child was to be killed by the pick-axe, when itgrew big and had to draw beer, and the pick-axe fell down. Then said themother likewise: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat down and weptwith them. The man upstairs waited a short time, but as his wife did notcome back and his thirst grew ever greater, he said: 'I must go into thecellar myself and see where Elsie is.' But when he got into the cellar,and they were all sitting together crying, and he heard the reason, andthat Elsie's child was the cause, and the Elsie might perhaps bring oneinto the world some day, and that he might be killed by the pick-axe, ifhe should happen to be sitting beneath it, drawing beer just at the verytime when it fell down, he cried: 'Oh, what a clever Elsie!' and satdown, and likewise wept with them. The bridegroom stayed upstairs alonefor a long time; then as no one would come back he thought: 'They must bewaiting for me below: I too must go there and see what they are about.'When he got down, the five of them were sitting screaming and lamentingquite piteously, each out-doing the other. 'What misfortune has happenedthen?' asked he. 'Ah, dear Hans,' said Elsie, 'if we marry each otherand have a child, and he is big, and we perhaps send him here to drawsomething to drink, then the pick-axe which has been left up there mightdash his brains out if it were to fall down, so have we not reason toweep?' 'Come,' said Hans, 'more understanding than that is not neededfor my household, as you are such a clever Elsie, I will have you,' andseized her hand, took her upstairs with him, and married her.

After Hans had had her some time, he said: 'Wife, I am going out to workand earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn that wemay have some bread.' 'Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.' After Hans hadgone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it into the fieldwith her. When she came to the field she said to herself: 'What shall Ido; shall I cut first, or shall I eat first? Oh, I will eat first.' Thenshe drank her cup of broth and when she was fully satisfied, she oncemore said: 'What shall I do? Shall I cut first, or shall I sleep first?I will sleep first.' Then she lay down among the corn and fell asleep.Hans had been at home for a long time, but Elsie did not come; then saidhe: 'What a clever Elsie I have; she is so industrious that she does noteven come home to eat.' But when evening came and she still stayed away,Hans went out to see what she had cut, but nothing was cut, and shewas lying among the corn asleep. Then Hans hastened home and broughta fowler's net with little bells and hung it round about her, and shestill went on sleeping. Then he ran home, shut the house-door, and satdown in his chair and worked. At length, when it was quite dark, CleverElsie awoke and when she got up there was a jingling all round abouther, and the bells rang at each step which she took. Then she wasalarmed, and became uncertain whether she really was Clever Elsie ornot, and said: 'Is it I, or is it not I?' But she knew not what answerto make to this, and stood for a time in doubt; at length she thought:'I will go home and ask if it be I, or if it be not I, they will be sureto know.' She ran to the door of her own house, but it was shut; thenshe knocked at the window and cried: 'Hans, is Elsie within?' 'Yes,'answered Hans, 'she is within.' Hereupon she was terrified, and said:'Ah, heavens! Then it is not I,' and went to another door; but when thepeople heard the jingling of the bells they would not open it, and shecould get in nowhere. Then she ran out of the village, and no one hasseen her since.