Lean Lisa
by Brothers Grimm · from Household Tales
Original Story
Lean Lisa
A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
Lean Lisa was of a very different way of thinking from lazy Harry and fat Trina, who never let anything disturb their peace. She scoured everything with ashes, from morning till evening, and burdened her husband, Long Laurence, with so much work that he had heavier weights to carry than an ass with three sacks. It was, however, all to no purpose, they had nothing and came to nothing. One night as she lay in bed, and could hardly move one limb for weariness, she still did not allow her thoughts to go to sleep. She thrust her elbows into her husband's side, and said, "Listen, Lenz, to what I have been thinking: if I were to find one florin and one was given to me, I would borrow another to put to them, and thou too shouldst give me another, and then as soon as I had got the four florins together, I would buy a young cow." This pleased the husband right well. "It is true," said he, "that I do not know where I am to get the florin which thou wantest as a gift from me; but, if thou canst get the money together, and canst buy a cow with it, thou wilt do well to carry out thy project. I shall be glad," he added, "if the cow has a calf, and then I shall often get a drink of milk to refresh me." - "The milk is not for thee," said the woman, "we must let the calf suck that it may become big and fat, and we may be able to sell it well." - "Certainly," replied the man, "but still we will take a little milk; that will do no harm." - "Who has taught thee to manage cows?" said the woman; "Whether it does harm or not, I will not allow it, and even if thou wert to stand on thy head for it, thou shouldst not have a drop of the milk! Dost thou think, because there is no satisfying thee, Long Laurence, that thou art to eat up what I earn with so much difficulty?" - "Wife," said the man, "be quiet, or I will give thee a blow on thy mouth!" - "What!" cried she, "thou threatenest me, thou glutton, thou rascal, thou lazy Harry!" She was just laying hold of his hair, but long Laurence got up, seized both Lean Lisa's withered arms in one hand, and with the other he pressed down her head into the pillow, let her scold, and held her until she fell asleep for very weariness. Whether she continued to wrangle when she awoke next morning, or whether she went out to look for the florin which she wanted to find, that I know not.
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Story DNA
Moral
Unchecked greed and planning for future wealth can lead to conflict and unhappiness in the present, even over things that don't yet exist.
Plot Summary
Lean Lisa, an overly industrious but poor woman, devises an elaborate plan to acquire a cow and a calf. When her husband, Long Laurence, expresses a desire for some of the calf's milk, Lisa vehemently refuses, leading to a heated argument. The conflict escalates into a physical struggle, with Laurence restraining Lisa until she falls asleep, leaving the outcome of their imagined fortune and their quarrel unresolved.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anticipation to frustration to conflict
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects common anxieties about poverty and the desire for upward mobility in pre-industrial European society, often through small-scale farming.
Plot Beats (13)
- Lean Lisa is introduced as an overly industrious woman who works tirelessly but remains poor, contrasting with lazy Harry and fat Trina.
- Lisa, exhausted in bed, wakes her husband, Long Laurence, to share a detailed financial plan.
- Her plan involves finding one florin, being given one, borrowing one, and Laurence giving her one, to total four florins.
- With the four florins, she intends to buy a young cow.
- Laurence expresses his approval and looks forward to drinking milk from the cow's calf.
- Lisa immediately contradicts him, stating the milk is solely for the calf to grow fat for sale.
- Laurence suggests taking just a little milk, which Lisa angrily rejects.
- Lisa accuses Laurence of gluttony and trying to consume what she earns with difficulty.
- Laurence threatens to strike her if she doesn't quiet down.
- Lisa retaliates by calling him names and attempting to grab his hair.
- Laurence physically restrains Lisa, holding her arms and pressing her head into the pillow.
- He holds her until she falls asleep from exhaustion.
- The narrator concludes by stating they don't know if she continued to argue or sought the florin the next morning.
Characters
Lean Lisa
Thin, wiry, and likely worn down from constant work.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant dress with an apron, practical for housework.
Industrious, argumentative, controlling.
Long Laurence
Implied to be tall and strong, but burdened by his wife's demands.
Attire: Simple peasant clothing, perhaps patched and worn from heavy labor.
Passive, longsuffering, occasionally assertive.
Locations
Lean Lisa and Long Laurence's Bed
A bed where Lean Lisa and Long Laurence sleep, presumably small and uncomfortable given their poverty.
Mood: tense, argumentative
Lean Lisa argues with Long Laurence about the hypothetical cow and milk, leading to a physical altercation.
The House
A house that is never clean enough for Lisa, despite her constant work.
Mood: desolate, impoverished
The setting for Lisa's constant cleaning and Laurence's exhaustion.