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up the street, and hear the flies coughing.
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Well, said Hans, if she is not really smart, I won't have her.
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When they were sitting at dinner and had eaten, the mother said,
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elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer. Then clever elsie
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took the pitcher from the wall, went into the cellar, and tapped
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the lid briskly as she went, so that the time might not appear
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long. When she was below she fetched herself a chair, and set
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it before the barrel so that she had no need to stoop, and did
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not hurt her back or do herself any unexpected injury. Then she
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placed the can before her, and turned the tap, and while the
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beer was running she would not let her eyes be idle, but looked
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up at the wall, and after much peering here and there, saw a
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pick-axe exactly above her, which the masons had accidentally
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left there.
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Then clever elsie began to weep, and said, if I get Hans, and we
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have a child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar
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here to draw beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and
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kill him. Then she sat and wept and screamed with all the strength
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of her body, over the misfortune which lay before her. Those
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upstairs waited for the drink, but clever elsie still did not
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come. Then the woman said to the servant, just go down into the
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cellar and see where elsie is. The maid went and found her
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sitting in front of the barrel, screaming loudly. Elsie, why do
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you weep, asked the maid. Ah, she answered, have I not reason
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to weep. If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he grows big,
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and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fall on his
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head, and kill him. Then said the maid, what a clever elsie we
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have. And sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the
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misfortune. After a while, as the maid did not come back, those
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upstairs were thirsty for the beer, the man said to the boy, just
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go down into the cellar and see where elsie and the girl are.
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The boy went down, and there sat clever elsie and the girl both
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weeping together. Then he asked, why are you weeping, ah, said
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elsie, have I not reason to weep. If I get Hans, and we have a
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child, and he grows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe
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will fall on his head and kill him. Then said the boy, what a
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clever elsie we have. And sat down by her, and likewise began
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to howl loudly. Upstairs they
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waited for the boy, but as he still did not return, the man said
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to the woman, just go down into the cellar and see where elsie is.
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The woman went down, and found all three in the midst of their
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lamentations, and inquired what was the cause, then elsie told
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her also that her future child was to be killed by the pick-axe,
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when it grew big and had to draw beer, and the pick-axe fell
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down. Then said the mother likewise, what a clever elsie we have.
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And sat down and wept with them. The man upstairs waited a short
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time, but as his wife did not come back and his thirst grew ever
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greater, he said, I must go into the cellar myself and see where
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elsie is. But when he got into the cellar, and they were all
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sitting together crying, and he heard the reason, and that elsie's
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child was the cause, and that elsie might perhaps bring one into
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the world some day, and that he might be killed by the
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pick-axe, if he should happen to be sitting beneath it, drawing
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beer just at the very time when it fell down, he cried, oh,
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what a clever elsie. And sat down, and likewise wept with them.
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The bridegroom stayed upstairs alone for a long time, then as
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no one would come back he thought, they must be waiting for me
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below, I too must go there and see what they are about. When he
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got down, the five of them were sitting screaming and lamenting
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quite piteously, each out-doing the other. What misfortune has
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happened then, he asked. Ah, dear Hans, said elsie, if we marry
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each other and have a child, and he is big, and we perhaps send
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him here to draw something to drink, then the pick-axe which has
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been left up there might dash his brains out if it were to fall
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down, so have we not reason to weep. Come, said Hans, more
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understanding than that is not needed for my household, as you
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are such a clever elsie, I will have you. And he seized her
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hand, took her upstairs with him, and married her.
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After Hans had had her some time, he said, wife, I am going
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out to work and earn some money for us, go into the field and cut
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the corn that we may have some bread. Yes, dear Hans, I will do
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that. After Hans had gone away, she cooked herself some good
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broth and took it into the field with her. When she came to the
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field she said to herself, what shall I do, shall I cut first, or
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shall I eat first. Oh, I will eat first. Then she drank her cup
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of broth, and when she was fully satisfied, she once more said,
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what shall I do. Shall I cut first, or shall I sleep first. I
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will sleep first. Then she lay down among the corn and fell
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asleep. Hans had been at home for a long time, but elsie did not
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come, then said he, what a clever elsie I have, she is so
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industrious that she does not even come home to eat. But when
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evening came and she still stayed away, Hans went out to see what
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she had cut, but nothing was cut, and she was lying among the
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corn asleep. Then Hans hastened home and brought a fowler's net
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with little bells and hung it round about her, and she still
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went on sleeping. Then he ran home, shut the house-door, and sat
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down in his chair and worked. At length, when it was quite dark,
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clever elsie awoke and when she got up there was a jingling all
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round about her, and the bells rang at each step which she took.
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Then she was alarmed, and became uncertain whether she really was
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clever elsie or not, and said, is it I, or is it not I. But she
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knew not what answer to make to this, and stood for a time in
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doubt, at length she thought, I will go home and ask if it be I,
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or if it be not I, they will be sure to know. She ran to the door
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