CLEVER ALICE
by Unknown · from Fairy Tales, Volume 2 (of 2)
Adapted Version
Once, a girl named Alice lived. Everyone called her Clever Alice. Father said, 'Alice must marry.' Mother said, 'Yes!'
A young man named Hans came. He wanted to meet Clever Alice. Hans asked, 'Is she clever?' Parents said, 'Yes!'
Mother said, 'Alice, get juice.' Alice went. She went down the stairs.
Alice saw a wobbly bucket. It hung high up. Alice worried about the bucket falling and spilling. She began to cry.
Alice did not come. Her mother went down. She saw Alice crying. Alice said, "Bucket will spill!" Mother cried. Father waited. He went down too. He saw them crying. Alice told him. Father said, "Oh dear!" He sat and cried.
Hans waited upstairs. Nobody came. He went down to the cellar. He saw everyone crying. "Why do you cry?" Hans asked. Alice told him about the bucket. Hans thought her careful. He said, "I will marry."
Hans and Alice married. Hans said, "Go to garden. Cut plants."
Alice went to the garden. She had a snack. "Should I cut plants first?" she thought. "Or eat first?" She ate her snack. Then she felt sleepy. "Should I sleep first?" she thought. She slept in the garden.
Hans waited for Alice. She did not come home. Hans went to the garden. He found Alice sleeping. She did not cut plants. Hans had a net. It had small bells. He put the net on Alice.
Alice woke up. The bells jingled. They jingled with each step. "What is this sound?" she thought. She felt very strange. "Am I Clever Alice?" she asked. Am I Alice? She did not know.
Alice went home. She knocked on the door. "Hans, is Alice here?" she asked. Hans opened the door. He smiled at Alice. "Yes," he said. "You are Alice!"
Hans smiled. "You are Alice!" he said. He took off the bells. Alice smiled. She was Alice! Hans said, "We worry too much. It is good to be you."
Original Story
CLEVER ALICE
There was once a man who had a daughter called Clever Alice. When she was grown up her father said, “We must get her married.”
“Yes,” said her mother; “if only some one would come who would have her.”
At last a young man named Hans came from a distance and wooed her; but he made one condition,—that Clever Alice should be as clever as she was said to be.
“Oh,” said her father, “she’s sharp enough.”
“Yes, indeed!” said her mother; “she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear the flies coughing.”
“Very well,” replied Hans; “but if she is not really clever, I won’t have her.”
When they were all sitting together at dinner the mother said, “Alice, go down into the cellar and draw some beer.”
So Clever Alice took the jug from the nail on the wall, and went into the cellar, tapping the lid up and down as she went to pass away the time. When she reached the cellar she fetched a chair and put it in front of the cask so that she need not stoop and hurt her back. Then she held the jug in her hand and turned the tap. While the beer was running, as she did not wish to be idle, she let her eyes wander all over the wall, looking first this way and then that. All at once she saw just above her head a pickax, which the masons had accidentally left there.
Then Clever Alice began to cry, saying, “If I marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows up, and we send him into the cellar here to draw beer, then the pickax will fall on his head and kill him.”
So she sat and wept and cried with all her might over the misfortune which lay before her.
The people upstairs waited for the beer, but still Clever Alice did not come. At last her mother said to the maid, “Go down into the cellar and see why Clever Alice is staying so long.”
The maid went and found her sitting before the cask, crying bitterly.
“Alice, what are you crying about?” she asked.
“Alas!” she answered, “have I not reason to weep? If I marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows up and has to draw beer here, perhaps that pickax will fall on his head and kill him.”
Then the maid said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and she, too, sat down by Alice and began to weep over this misfortune.
After a while, as the maid did not come back and the people upstairs were getting very thirsty, the husband said to the boy, “Go down cellar and see what has become of Alice and the maid.”
The boy went down, and there sat Alice and the maid weeping together. So he said, “What are you crying for?”
“Alas!” said Alice, “have I not reason to cry? If I marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows up and has to draw beer here, that pickax will fall on his head and kill him.”
Then the boy said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and he sat down by Alice and began to howl lustily.
Upstairs they waited for the boy, but when he did not come the husband said, “Do go down cellar, wife, and see why Alice does not come back.”
The wife went downstairs and found the three in the midst of their lamentations. She asked the reason, and Alice told her, also, how her future child, when it grew up and was sent to draw beer, would be killed by the pickax which would fall down. Then the mother likewise exclaimed, “What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept with them.
The husband upstairs waited a short time, but at last, as his wife did not return and his thirst grew greater, he said, “I must go down into the cellar myself and see what has become of Alice.”
But when he entered the cellar and found them all sitting there together crying, and heard the reason, how Alice’s child was the cause of it all, because she might possibly have a child, who might be killed by the pickax, if he should happen to be sitting beneath it drawing beer just at the moment when the pickax fell down, then he, too, said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept with them.
The bridegroom waited upstairs alone for a long time; then, as nobody came, he said: “They must be waiting downstairs for me. I will go down and see what they are about.” When he got downstairs there sat all five, weeping and lamenting in a heartrending way, each a little louder than the others.
“What misfortune can possibly have happened?” he asked.
“Alas! dear Hans,” said Alice, “if we marry and have a child, and he grows up, and we happen to send him into the cellar here to draw beer, then that pickax which has been hanging up there might kill him if it were to fall down upon his head; so have we not reason to weep?”
“Well,” said Hans, “more cleverness than that is not needed to keep house for me; and as you are such a clever Alice I will have you for my wife.” So he took her by the hand, led her upstairs with him, and married her.
When they had been married some time, Hans said, “Wife, I am going out to work and earn some money for us; do you go into the field and cut the corn, so that we may have some bread.”
“Yes, my dear Hans, I will do so.”
After Hans went away Alice cooked some nice broth for herself and took it into the field with her. When she got there she said to herself: “Now which shall I do? Shall I reap first, or eat first? I will eat first.”
So she emptied her bowl of broth, and when she was satisfied she said again: “Now which shall I do? Shall I reap first, or sleep first? I will sleep first.”
Then she lay down in the corn and fell asleep.
Meanwhile Hans had been at home some time, but Alice did not come.
“What a clever Alice she is!” said he; “she is so industrious that she does not even come home to eat.”
But as she still did not come, Hans went out to see how much she had reaped; but nothing was cut, and there lay Alice fast asleep in the corn. Hans hurried home and brought back a fowler’s net with little bells on it; this he hung about her, and still she did not wake. Then he ran home, shut the house door, and sat down to work.
At last, when it was quite dark, Clever Alice woke. When she stood up the net fell rattling about her, and the bells jingled at every step she took. This frightened her, and made her wonder whether she was really Clever Alice or not, and she said to herself, “Is it I, or is it not I?”
But she did not know how to answer, and stood for a long time in doubt. At last she thought, “I will go home and ask if it is I, or if it is not I; they will be sure to know.”
She ran to the door of her house, but it was locked. Then she knocked on the window, and cried, “Hans, is Alice at home?”
“Yes,” answered Hans, “she is at home.”
Then she was frightened and cried, “Alas! then it is not I,” and she ran to the next door; but when the people heard the jingling of the bells they would not open for her, and she could get in nowhere. So she ran away out of the village, and no one has ever seen her since.
Story DNA
Moral
Overthinking and excessive worry can lead to inaction and absurd conclusions, while a lack of self-awareness can lead to losing one's identity.
Plot Summary
Clever Alice, known for her supposed intelligence, is wooed by Hans, who tests her cleverness. While drawing beer, Alice weeps over the hypothetical death of her future child by a falling pickax, prompting her entire family to join her in lamentation. Hans, misinterpreting this as cleverness, marries her. Later, when sent to cut corn, Alice eats and sleeps instead. Hans places a bell-net on her, and upon waking, the jingling causes Alice to doubt her own identity, leading her to flee the village forever.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anticipation to absurdity to confusion
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale is part of the Brothers Grimm collection, reflecting common folk humor and societal observations of the time, often poking fun at perceived foolishness.
Plot Beats (12)
- A man and woman seek a husband for their daughter, Clever Alice.
- Hans comes to woo Alice but demands proof of her cleverness.
- Alice is sent to the cellar to draw beer.
- In the cellar, Alice sees a pickax and begins to cry, imagining it falling on her future child's head.
- The maid, then the boy, then the mother, then the father, each go to the cellar, hear Alice's reasoning, and join her in weeping.
- Hans goes to the cellar, finds everyone weeping, hears Alice's explanation, and, misinterpreting her folly as cleverness, marries her.
- After marriage, Hans sends Alice to cut corn in the field.
- Alice decides to eat and then sleep before cutting any corn, falling fast asleep.
- Hans, finding Alice asleep and no corn cut, places a fowler's net with bells on her.
- Alice wakes up, hears the bells, and becomes confused about her own identity.
- Alice goes to her house, asks if Alice is home, and Hans replies that she is.
- Believing she is not herself, Alice flees the village and is never seen again.
Characters
Clever Alice
Of average height and build, with a generally pleasant but somewhat vacant expression. Her movements are often slow and deliberate, or suddenly panicked.
Attire: A simple, practical peasant dress, likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted earth tones such as grey, brown, or undyed cream. She would wear a plain apron over it, and sturdy, comfortable shoes or clogs suitable for field work.
Wants: To fulfill her duties as a wife and daughter, but primarily to avoid perceived future misfortunes and to confirm her own existence.
Flaw: Her extreme literal-mindedness and lack of common sense, which leads her to illogical conclusions and paralyzing fear.
She begins as a prospective bride, then becomes a wife, but her 'cleverness' ultimately leads her to question her own identity and flee her home, disappearing from the village.
Extremely literal-minded, prone to overthinking simple tasks, easily distracted, prone to dramatic emotional outbursts, and deeply insecure about her identity.
Hans
A sturdy, practical young man, likely of average height and build, with a no-nonsense demeanor. He appears capable of hard work.
Attire: Simple, durable peasant clothing: a plain linen shirt, sturdy wool trousers, and a practical vest or jacket in muted colors like brown or forest green. He would wear practical leather boots.
Wants: To find a clever wife to help him run a household and to earn a living.
Flaw: His initial willingness to believe the exaggerated claims about Alice's cleverness, and perhaps a slight naivety regarding human nature.
He begins by seeking a clever wife, marries Alice despite her initial display of 'cleverness,' and eventually devises a test that exposes her true nature, leading to her departure.
Practical, hardworking, initially somewhat gullible or willing to believe in Alice's supposed cleverness, but ultimately pragmatic and a bit exasperated.
Alice's Father
A man of middle age, perhaps a bit portly, with a kindly but somewhat easily swayed demeanor. He is likely a farmer or tradesman.
Attire: Typical peasant or tradesman attire: a sturdy tunic or shirt, practical trousers, and a simple coat or jacket, all in muted, durable fabrics. Perhaps a leather belt.
Wants: To secure a good marriage for his daughter.
Flaw: His gullibility and tendency to follow the emotional lead of his wife and daughter.
He begins by promoting Alice's cleverness, then joins in the collective weeping over a hypothetical misfortune, showing his susceptibility to emotional contagion.
Proud of his daughter (even if misguided), eager to see her married, easily convinced, and prone to emotional overreaction when influenced by others.
Alice's Mother
A woman of middle age, perhaps a bit stout, with a bustling and opinionated manner. She is likely a homemaker.
Attire: A practical, long-sleeved dress made of durable fabric like wool or linen, perhaps in a deep blue or green, with a clean white apron over it. She might wear a simple head covering or cap.
Wants: To see her daughter married and to uphold her daughter's reputation for cleverness.
Flaw: Her tendency to exaggerate and her susceptibility to emotional contagion, leading her to weep over imagined misfortunes.
She begins by enthusiastically praising Alice's 'cleverness,' then becomes the first to join Alice in weeping over the hypothetical pickax incident, demonstrating her shared lack of common sense.
Opinionated, proud of her daughter (to an absurd degree), prone to exaggeration, and easily drawn into emotional displays.
Locations
Alice's Family Home
A modest, traditional German half-timbered Fachwerk house, likely with a thatched or tiled roof. The interior would feature exposed wooden beams, simple furniture, and a practical layout. The main living area where they dine is upstairs.
Mood: Initially warm and domestic, later shifts to confusion and slight desperation as Hans waits.
Hans proposes, and later, Alice returns home after her nap, confused by the bells.
The Cellar
A cool, damp, subterranean cellar beneath the house, likely with stone or packed earth walls and floor. It contains a large wooden beer cask and a chair. A pickax is precariously lodged or hung on the wall above the cask.
Mood: Initially mundane, quickly becomes melodramatic and absurd due to Alice's exaggerated fears.
Alice, her family, and the maid all weep over a hypothetical future misfortune involving a pickax.
The Cornfield
A vast, open field of tall, ripe corn, ready for harvest. The corn stalks are dense and high, providing cover. The field is likely bordered by other agricultural land or perhaps a distant tree line.
Mood: Initially peaceful and industrious, then shifts to one of lazy tranquility, and finally, confusion and abandonment.
Alice eats, sleeps, and is later found by Hans, who places a bell-net on her.