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up the street, and hear the flies coughing. |
Well, said Hans, if she is not really smart, 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 do |
you weep, 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 you 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 he might be killed by the |
pick-axe, if he 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, the 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 you |
are such a clever elsie, I will have you. 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 cut first, or |
shall I eat first. Oh, I will eat first. Then she drank her cup |
of broth, and when she was fully satisfied, she once more 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 said he, what a clever elsie I have, she is so |
industrious that she does not even 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 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 |
Subsets and Splits