Kabanata Kabanata 33 · Clever Elsie

. Clever Elsie

There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie.

And when she had grown up her father said, “We will get her married.”

“Yes,” said the mother; “if only any one would come who would have

her.” At length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was

called Hans; but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really wise.

“Oh,” said the father, “she’s sharp enough;” 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 wise, I won’t have

her.” When they were sitting at dinner and had eaten, the mother said,

“Elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer.” Then Clever Elsie took

the pitcher from the wall, went into the cellar, and tapped the lid

briskly as she went, so that the time might not appear long. When she

was below she fetched herself a chair, and set it before the barrel so

that she had no need to stoop, and did not hurt her back or do herself

any unexpected injury. Then she placed the can before her, and turned

the tap, and while the beer was running she would not let her eyes be

idle, but looked up at the wall, and after much peering here and there,

saw a pick-axe exactly above her, which the masons had accidentally

left there.

Then Clever Elsie began to weep, and said, “If I get Hans, and we have

a child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar here to draw

beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.” Then she

sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body, over the

misfortune 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 and found her sitting in front of the barrel, screaming

loudly. “Elsie, why weepest thou?” asked the maid. “Ah,” she answered,

“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, the pick-axe will perhaps fall on

his head, and kill him.” Then said the maid, “What a clever Elsie we

have!” and sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the

misfortune. After a while, as the maid did not come back, those

upstairs were thirsty for the beer, the man said to the boy, “Just go

down into the cellar and see where Elsie and the girl are.” The boy

went down, and there sat Clever Elsie and the girl both weeping

together. Then he asked, “Why are ye weeping?” “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, the pick-axe will fall on his head and

kill him.” Then said the boy, “What a clever Elsie we have!” and sat

down by her, and likewise began to howl loudly. Upstairs they waited

for the boy, but as he still did not return, the man said to the woman,

“Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is!” The woman went

down, and found all three in the midst of their lamentations, and

inquired what was the cause; then Elsie told her also that her future

child was to be killed by the pick-axe, when it grew big and had to

draw beer, and the pick-axe fell down. Then said the mother likewise,

“What a clever Elsie we have!” and sat down and wept with them. The man

upstairs waited a short time, but as his wife did not come back and his

thirst grew ever greater, he said, “I must go into the cellar 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, and that Elsie’s

child was the cause, and that Elsie might perhaps bring one into the

world some day, and that it might be killed by the pick-axe, if it

should happen to be sitting beneath it, drawing beer just at the very

time when it fell down, he cried, “Oh, what a clever Elsie!” and sat

down, and likewise wept with them. The bridegroom stayed upstairs alone

for a long time; then as no one would come back he thought, “They must

be waiting for me below; I too must go there and see what they are

about.” When he got down, five of them were sitting screaming and

lamenting quite piteously, each out-doing the other. “What misfortune

has happened then?” he asked. “Ah, dear Hans,” said Elsie, “if we marry

each other and have a child, and he is big, and we perhaps send him

here to draw something to drink, then the pick-axe which has been left

up there might dash his brains out if it were to fall down, so have we

not reason to weep?” “Come,” said Hans, “more understanding than that

is not needed for my household, as thou art such a clever Elsie, I will

have thee,” and he seized 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

work and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn

that we may have some bread.” “Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.” After

Hans had gone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it into

the field with her. When she came to the field she said to herself,

“What shall I do; shall I shear first, or shall I eat first? Oh, I will

eat first.” Then she emptied her basin of broth, and when she was fully

satisfied, she once more said, “What shall I do? Shall I shear 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 said he, “What a clever Elsie I have; she is

so industrious that she does not even come home to eat.” As, however,

she still stayed away, and it was evening, Hans went out to see what

she had cut, but nothing was cut, and she was lying among the corn

asleep. Then Hans hastened home and brought a fowler’s net with little

bells and hung it round about her, and she still went on sleeping. Then

he ran home, shut the house-door, and sat down in his chair and worked.

At length, when it was quite dark, Clever Elsie awoke and when she got

up there was a jingling all round about her, and the bells rang at each

step which she took. Then she was alarmed, and became uncertain whether

she really was Clever Elsie or not, and said, “Is it I, or is it not

I?” But she knew not what answer to 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 sure to know.” She ran to the door of her

own house, but it was shut; then she 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 the people heard the jingling of the

bells they would not open it, and she could get in nowhere. Then she

ran out of the village, and no one has seen her since.