格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
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 someone would come who would haveher.' At length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who wascalled Hans; but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be reallysmart. 'Oh,' said the father, 'she has plenty of good sense'; and themother said: 'Oh, she can see the wind coming up the street, and hearthe flies coughing.' 'Well,' said Hans, 'if she is not really smart, Iwon't have her.' When they were sitting at dinner and had eaten, themother said: 'Elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer.' ThenClever Elsie took the pitcher from the wall, went into the cellar, andtapped the lid briskly as she went, so that the time might not appearlong. When she was below she fetched herself a chair, and set itbefore the barrel so that she had no need to stoop, and did not hurther back or do herself any unexpected injury. Then she placed the canbefore her, and turned the tap, and while the beer was running shewould not let her eyes be idle, but looked up at the wall, and aftermuch peering here and there, saw a pick-axe exactly above her, whichthe masons had accidentally left there.
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 todraw beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.' Thenshe sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body, overthe misfortune which lay before her. Those upstairs waited for thedrink, but Clever Elsie still did not come. Then the woman said to theservant: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is.' Themaid went and found her sitting in front of the barrel, screamingloudly. '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 hegrows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fallon his head, and kill him.' Then said the maid: 'What a clever Elsiewe have!' and sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over themisfortune. After a while, as the maid did not come back, and thoseupstairs were thirsty for the beer, the man said to the boy: 'Just godown into the cellar and see where Elsie and the girl are.' The boywent down, and there sat Clever Elsie and the girl both weepingtogether. 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 hegrows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will fall on hishead 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 theywaited for the boy, but as he still did not return, the man said tothe woman: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is!' Thewoman went down, and found all three in the midst of theirlamentations, and inquired what was the cause; then Elsie told heralso 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 saidthe mother likewise: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat down andwept with them. The man upstairs waited a short time, but as his wifedid not come back and his thirst grew ever greater, he said: 'I mustgo into the cellar myself and see where Elsie is.' But when he gotinto the cellar, and they were all sitting together crying, and heheard the reason, and that Elsie's child was the cause, and the Elsiemight perhaps bring one into the world some day, and that he might bekilled 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. Thebridegroom stayed upstairs alone for along time; then as no one wouldcome back he thought: 'They must be waiting for me below: I too mustgo there and see what they are about.' When he got down, the five ofthem were sitting screaming and lamenting quite piteously, each out-doing the other. 'What misfortune has happened then?' asked he. 'Ah,dear Hans,' said Elsie, 'if we marry each other and have a child, andhe 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 brainsout if it were to fall down, so have we not reason to weep?' 'Come,'said Hans, 'more understanding than that is not needed for myhousehold, 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 towork and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the cornthat we may have some bread.' 'Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.' AfterHans had gone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took itinto the field with her. When she came to the field she said toherself: '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 shewas fully satisfied, she once more said: 'What shall I do? Shall I cutfirst, or shall I sleep first? I will sleep first.' Then she lay downamong 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; sheis so industrious that she does not even come home to eat.' But whenevening came and she still stayed away, Hans went out to see what shehad 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 bellsand hung it round about her, and she still went on sleeping. Then heran 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 gotup there was a jingling all round about her, and the bells rang ateach step which she took. Then she was alarmed, and became uncertainwhether she really was Clever Elsie or not, and said: 'Is it I, or isit not I?' But she knew not what answer to make to this, and stood fora time in doubt; at length she thought: 'I will go home and ask if itbe I, or if it be not I, they will be sure to know.' She ran to thedoor of her own house, but it was shut; then she knocked at the windowand cried: 'Hans, is Elsie within?' 'Yes,' answered Hans, 'she iswithin.' Hereupon she was terrified, and said: 'Ah, heavens! Then itis not I,' and went to another door; but when the people heard thejingling of the bells they would not open it, and she could get innowhere. Then she ran out of the village, and no one has seen hersince.