English Original
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.
中文翻译
从前，有个人有个女儿，名叫聪明的艾尔西。她长大后，父亲说：“我们得把她嫁出去。”母亲说：“是啊，只要有人愿意娶她。”
终于，一个名叫汉斯的男人从远方来向她求婚，但他规定聪明的艾尔西必须真正聪明。父亲说：“哦，她够机灵了。”母亲补充道：“她能看见风从街上吹来，能听见苍蝇咳嗽。”汉斯说：“好吧，如果她不是真聪明，我就不要她。”
吃饭时，母亲说：“艾尔西，去地窖拿些啤酒来。”聪明的艾尔西从墙上取下罐子，走进地窖，边走边轻快地敲着盖子打发时间。
在地窖里，她搬了把椅子放在酒桶前，这样就不用弯腰了。她把罐子放在面前，打开龙头。啤酒流淌时，她抬头看向墙壁。仔细打量一番后，她看到泥瓦匠不小心留在那里的一把鹤嘴锄。
聪明的艾尔西开始哭泣。“如果我嫁给汉斯，我们有了孩子，他长大了，我们派他来这儿打啤酒，那鹤嘴锄会掉下来砸死他的。”她坐下来，为这想象中的不幸又哭又叫。
楼上的人等着啤酒。见艾尔西没回来，母亲让女仆去看看。女仆发现艾尔西在哭，便问原因。艾尔西解释了她对未来孩子的担忧。女仆惊呼：“我们有个多聪明的艾尔西啊！”然后坐下来和她一起哭。
女仆没回来，父亲让男孩去看看。他发现两人都在哭，听了原因后说：“我们有个多聪明的艾尔西啊！”也加入他们一起哭。
男孩没回来，母亲下去了。她发现三个人都在哀叹，听了原因后说：“我们有个多聪明的艾尔西啊！”也和他们一起哭。
最后，口渴的父亲自己下去了。他发现四个人都在哭，听了关于艾尔西假想的未来孩子的原因后，喊道：“哦，多聪明的艾尔西啊！”坐下来和他们一起哭。
新郎汉斯被独自留在楼上，终于下去了。他发现五个人都在可怜地尖叫哀叹。“发生什么不幸了？”他问。艾尔西解释了她对未来孩子和鹤嘴锄的恐惧。汉斯说：“行了，我家不需要比这更聪明的了。既然你是这么聪明的艾尔西，我就要你了。”他拉着她的手，带她上楼，娶了她。
过了一段时间，汉斯说：“妻子，我要出去干活挣钱。你去田里割麦子，我们好有面包吃。”“好的，亲爱的汉斯。”她说。他走后，她煮了些好汤带到田里。
在田里，她心想：“我是先割麦子，还是先吃呢？哦，我先吃吧。”她喝完了汤。然后她想：“我是先割麦子，还是先睡呢？我先睡吧。”她躺在麦田里睡着了。
汉斯回家了，但艾尔西没回来。他想：“我有个多聪明的艾尔西啊；她这么勤快，甚至不回家吃饭。”到了晚上，她还没回来，他就去田里看。他发现什么也没割，艾尔西在睡觉。
汉斯急忙回家，拿了一张带小铃铛的捕鸟网，在她睡觉时挂在她周围。然后他跑回家，关上门，坐下来干活。
天完全黑时，聪明的艾尔西醒了。她站起来，每走一步铃铛就叮当作响。她吓了一跳，不确定自己是不是真的聪明的艾尔西。“是我，还是不是我？”她问自己，但找不到答案。
最后她想：“我回家问问。他们会知道的。”她跑到家门口，但门关着。她敲着窗户喊道：“汉斯，艾尔西在里面吗？”“在，”汉斯回答，“她在里面。”
她吓坏了，说：“啊，天哪！那不是我。”她去敲另一家的门，但人们听到叮当的铃声不肯开门。她无处可去。然后她跑出了村子，从此再没人见过她。