The Three Sisters of Frastanz

To the east of Frastanz, upon the boundaries of Feldkirch, lies a

chain of mountains, leading southwards towards the principality of

Lichtenstein, out of which range rise three lofty bare grey jagged

mountain peaks, which form the boundary marks of the country, and bear

the name of “the Three Sisters,” to which are joined the Frastanz Alps.

Towards the end of the last century, a Venediger-Manndl used to come

every year into that country, for the purpose of picking up gold, of

which large quantities were to be found, especially in the forest

valley of Samina, which is situated between the Three Sisters and

the Ziegerberg. The Manndl used to fly through the air from Venice,

carrying a large jar, which he put under a mountain spring, which

threw up gold grains from a subterranean river, and when the jar was

full he flew off with it home again. As a proof, he once showed the

jar full of gold to some herdsmen, who were pasturing their cows

in the neighbourhood; but they would not be taken in, and so they

crossed themselves and let the Venetian go, for they knew that he was a

sorcerer, who practised his arts through supernatural power, like all

Venediger-Manndl used to do.

At that time, there lived at Frastanz three sisters, who upon a great

_fête_ day, instead of going to mass, set out very early in the morning

to climb the mountain, for the purpose of gathering strawberries,

which grew there in quantities, with the intention of selling them

in the afternoon at Feldkirch. Upon the mountain they met the

Venediger-Manndl, who indignantly and furiously asked them, “What are

you doing here to-day?” The girls were terrified, for their consciences

reproached them for having neglected their duty on such a great _fête_

day, for the sake of gaining a little money, and they answered,

“Nothing, nothing.” Then the sorcerer replied, with a voice towering

with passion, “Well, then, you shall turn into nothing, nothing but

bare rocks, without grass or leaf, without tree or fruit, and beneath

you shall be hidden my golden wealth, which no mortal being shall ever

succeed in finding.” At the same moment the three girls were turned

into stone, for the sorcerer, in gaining power over them by their

crime, redeemed himself, and delivered them in his stead to the evil

one.

There still stand the Three Sisters, touching the clouds as three

mountain peaks; but the Venetian has never been seen again, and his

wealth-stream is said to have been dried up. The Three Sisters look

solemnly down upon the upper part of the valley, called Rheinthal, upon

Vaduz, and the country of Lichtenstein.