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 come back and his
thirst grew ever greater, he said, “I must go into the cellar myself
and see where Elsie is.” But when he got into the cellar, and they were
all sitting together crying, and he heard the reason, and that Elsie’s
child was the cause, and that Elsie might perhaps bring one into the
world some day, and that it might be killed by the pick-axe, if it
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. The bridegroom stayed upstairs alone
for a long time; then as no one would come back he thought, “They must
be waiting for me below; I too must go there and see what they are
about.” When he got down, five of them were sitting screaming and
lamenting quite piteously, each out-doing the other. “What misfortune
has happened then?” he asked. “Ah, dear Hans,” said Elsie, “if we marry
each other and have a child, and he 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 brains out if it were to fall down, so have we
not reason to weep?” “Come,” said Hans, “more understanding than that
is not needed for my household, as thou art such a clever Elsie, I will
have thee,” and he seized her hand, took her upstairs with him, and
married her. After Hans had had her some time, he said, “Wife, I am going out to
work and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn
that we may have some bread.” “Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.” After
Hans had gone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it into
the field with her. When she came to the field she said to herself,
“What shall I do; shall I shear first, or shall I eat first? Oh, I will
eat first.” Then she emptied her basin of broth, and when she was fully
satisfied, she once more said, “What shall I do? Shall I shear first,
or shall I sleep first? I will sleep first.” Then she lay down among
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; she is
so industrious that she does not even come home to eat.” As, however,
she still stayed away, and it was evening, Hans went out to see what
she had 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
bells and hung it round about her, and she still went on sleeping. Then
he ran 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 got
up there was a jingling all round about her, and the bells rang at each
step which she took. Then she was alarmed, and became uncertain whether
she really was Clever Elsie or not, and said, “Is it I, or is it not
I?” But she knew not what answer to make to this, and stood for a time
in doubt; at length she thought, “I will go home and ask if it be I, or
if it be not I, they will be sure to know.” She ran to the door of her
own house, but it was shut; then she knocked at the window and cried,
“Hans, is Elsie within?” “Yes,” answered Hans, “she is within.”
Hereupon she was terrified, and said, “Ah, heavens! Then it is not I,”
and went to another door; but when the people heard the jingling of the
bells they would not open it, and she could get in nowhere. Then she
ran out of the village, and no one has seen her since. 35 The Tailor in Heaven

One very fine day it came to pass that the good God wished to enjoy
himself in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints
with him, so that no one stayed in heaven but Saint Peter. The Lord had
commanded him to let no one in during his absence, so Peter stood by
the door and kept watch. Before long some one knocked. Peter asked who
was there, and what he wanted? “I am a poor, honest tailor who prays
for admission,” replied a smooth voice. “Honest indeed,” said Peter,
“like the thief on the gallows! Thou hast been light-fingered and hast
snipped folks’ clothes away. Thou wilt not get into heaven. The Lord
hath forbidden me to let any one in while he is out.” “Come, do be
merciful,” cried the tailor. “Little scraps which fall off the table of
their own accord are not stolen, and are not worth speaking about. Look, I am lame, and have blisters on my feet with walking here, I
cannot possibly turn back again. Only let me in, and I will do all the
rough work. I will carry the children, and wash their clothes, and wash
and clean the benches on which they have been playing, and patch all
their torn clothes.” Saint Peter let himself be moved by pity, and
opened the door of heaven just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip
his lean body in. He was forced to sit down in a corner behind the
door, and was to stay quietly and peaceably there, in order that the
Lord, when he returned, might not observe him and be angry. The tailor
obeyed, but once when Saint Peter went outside the door, he got up, and
full of curiosity, went round about into every corner of heaven, and
inspected the arrangement of every place. At length he came to a spot
where many beautiful and delightful chairs were standing, and in the
midst was a seat all of gold which was set with shining jewels,
likewise it was much higher than the other chairs, and a footstool of
gold was before it. It was, however, the seat on which the Lord sat
when he was at home, and from which he could see everything which
happened on earth. The tailor stood still, and looked at the seat for a
long time, for it pleased him better than all else. At last he could
master his curiosity no longer, and climbed up and seated himself in
the chair. Then he saw everything which was happening on earth, and
observed an ugly old woman who was standing washing by the side of a
stream, secretly laying two veils on one side for herself. The sight of
this made the tailor so angry that he laid hold of the golden
footstool, and threw it down to earth through heaven, at the old thief. As, however, he could not bring the stool back again, he slipped
quietly out of the chair, seated himself in his place behind the door,
and behaved as if he had never stirred from the spot. When the Lord and master came back again with his heavenly companions,
he did not see the tailor behind the door, but when he seated himself
on his chair the footstool was missing.