The Fairy of the Sonnenwendjoch

At the foot of the gigantic mountain peak on which stands the

Sonnenwendjoch, a chalk Alp, over 8000 feet high, stand the hamlets of

Brixlegg, Mehrn, and Zimmermoos, upon a lovely plain, from which the

Achen rushes down into the valley, and works the lead, silver, and tin

foundries, which are the most important of the whole Tyrol. On that

spot a fairy used to reside.

Close by lies the little town of Rattenberg, above which used to stand

a magnificent stronghold, of which there are now but a few picturesque

ruins to be seen. One day the young Baron of the little castle of Mehrn

went hunting upon the charming green mountain side, and as in the

pursuit of his game he had approached the Sonnenwendjoch, he caught

sight of the fairy of the mountain. To see her and fall deeply in love

with her was the work of a moment, and the fairy also returned his

affection, for the handsome young Baron pleased her. The fairy, who was

a guardian of Alpine animals, ordered the youth never to pursue one of

them again if he wished her to take any notice of him. Then she led

him into her dominions, in which there were endless magnificent things

to be seen--gardens of never-fading flowers; deep, clear fountains;

meadows, upon which animals were peacefully browsing; and grottoes

supported by crystal columns, and whose roofs and walls were like

mirrors. They then became engaged, and the Baron received from the

fairy a ring as gage of her favour

After that he often went out under the pretence of hunting, but never

brought home any game; at which every one was astonished, because he

was noted as a good shot and clever huntsman, and had already killed

many bears and boars with his dagger alone. Every one was surprised,

too, to see that he avoided all the surrounding castles, and seemed to

have made up his mind to remain unmarried. Meanwhile, it happened that

in the castle of Rattenberg a wedding took place, to which the lord

also invited his friend the Baron of Mehrn; and, as it was impossible

for him to decline this invitation, he attended the wedding to his

great grief, for there he met a young lady of Innsbruck who entangled

him in her toils, and pleased him so much that he gave her the fairy’s

ring which she had noticed glittering on his finger.

Overcome by shame and remorse at his infidelity, he went on the

following morning to the Sonnenwendjoch, where he saw a white doe

bounding before him. At that sight the old love of hunting awoke

in him, and he pursued the animal to a well-known spot, where, by

knocking with his ring, a door in the rock sprang open which led to

the entrance of the fairy’s empire. There the youth stood rooted to

the ground with terror, for he had not the ring; and suddenly the fairy

herself appeared before him, dignified and haughty, not in anger, but

in deep grief. She held the ring in her delicate hand, and said in a

low sad voice: “You are unfaithful. You have sworn always to think

but of me; never to give my ring to another; never to pursue one of

my animals, and you have thrice broken your oath. Farewell!”--and in

saying so she disappeared from before his eyes.

The Baron had scarcely left the spot when a huge rock rolled down the

mountain with the noise of thunder and covered a large portion of the

valley with its _débris_. After that the young man became sad and

dejected and left the country, and people say that he went to the Holy

Land, from which he has never returned.