There was once a man who had a daughter called Clever Elsie. When she grew up, her father said, "We will get her married." "Yes," said the mother, "if only someone would come who would have her."
At length, a man named Hans came from a distance to woo her, but he stipulated that Clever Elsie must be truly wise. "Oh," said the father, "she's sharp enough." The mother added, "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."
During dinner, the mother said, "Elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer." Clever Elsie took the pitcher from the wall and went into the cellar, tapping the lid briskly as she went to pass the time.
In the cellar, she fetched a chair and set it before the barrel so she wouldn't have to stoop. She placed the can before her, turned the tap, and while the beer ran, she looked up at the wall. After much peering, she saw a pick-axe left there by masons.
Clever Elsie began to weep. "If I marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows big, and we send him here to draw beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him." She sat and wept and screamed over this imagined misfortune.
Those upstairs waited for the beer. When Elsie didn't return, the mother sent the maid to check. The maid found Elsie weeping and asked why. Elsie explained her fear about her future child. The maid exclaimed, "What a clever Elsie we have!" and sat down to weep with her.
When the maid didn't return, the father sent the boy. He found both weeping, heard the reason, said, "What a clever Elsie we have!" and joined them in weeping.
When the boy didn't return, the mother went down. She found all three lamenting, heard the cause, said, "What a clever Elsie we have!" and wept with them.
Finally, the thirsty father went down himself. He found all four crying, heard the reason about Elsie's hypothetical future child, cried, "Oh, what a clever Elsie!" and sat down to weep with them.
The bridegroom Hans, left alone upstairs, finally went down. He found all five screaming and lamenting piteously. "What misfortune has happened?" he asked. Elsie explained her fear about their future child and the pick-axe. "Come," said Hans, "more understanding than that is not needed for my household. As you are such a clever Elsie, I will have you." He took her hand, led her upstairs, and married her.
Some time later, Hans said, "Wife, I am going out to work. Go into the field and cut the corn so we may have bread." "Yes, dear Hans," she said. After he left, she cooked some good broth and took it to the field.
In the field, she wondered, "Shall I shear first, or eat first? Oh, I will eat first." She ate her broth. Then she thought, "Shall I shear first, or sleep first? I will sleep first." She lay down among the corn and fell asleep.
Hans returned home, but Elsie did not come. He thought, "What a clever Elsie I have; she is so industrious she doesn't even come home to eat." When evening came and she was still absent, he went to the field. He found nothing cut and Elsie asleep.
Hans hurried home, fetched a fowler's net with little bells, and hung it around her while she slept. Then he ran home, shut the door, and sat down to work.
When it was quite dark, Clever Elsie awoke. As she got up, the bells jingled with every step. She was alarmed and became uncertain if she was really Clever Elsie. "Is it I, or is it not I?" she asked herself but found no answer.
Finally, she thought, "I will go home and ask. They will know." She ran to her house, but the door was shut. She knocked at the window and cried, "Hans, is Elsie within?" "Yes," answered Hans, "she is within."
Terrified, she said, "Ah, heavens! Then it is not I." She went to another door, but people heard the jingling bells and would not open it. She could get in nowhere. Then she ran out of the village, and no one has seen her since.