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.' 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, and 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 dow