Grimms' Fairy Tales

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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 down into the cellar and see
where Elsie is!' The woman went down, and found all three in the midst
of their lamentations, and inquired what was the cause; then Elsie told
her also that her future child was to be killed by the pick-axe, when it
grew big and had to draw beer, and the pick-axe fell down. Then said the
mother likewise: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat down and wept
with them. The man upstairs waited a short time, but as his wife did not