The Devil’s Bridge

Almost every country possesses some legend of a “Devil’s Bridge,” and

how the Evil One has been ultimately cheated by his own handiwork, and

the Tyrol, which is alive with legends and superstitions, is not behind

any other in this respect.

In the valley of Montafon, the bridge of the village broke down, or

rather the swollen torrent carried it away; and as the parish was

anxious to restore it as soon as possible, the villagers of course

being unable to pass to and from Schruns, on the other side of

the river, for all their daily wants, they applied to the village

carpenter, and offered him a large sum of money if he would rebuild

the bridge in three days’ time. This puzzled the poor fellow beyond

description; he had a large family and now his fortune would be made at

once; but he saw the impossibility of finishing the work in so short a

time, and therefore he begged one day for reflection.

Then he set to work to study all day, up to midnight, to find out how

he could manage to do the work within the specified time; and as he

could find out nothing, he thumped the table with his fist, and called

out, “To the devil with it! I can find out nothing.” In his anger and

annoyance he was on the point of going to bed, when all at once a

little man wearing a green hat entered the room, and asked, “Carpenter,

wherefore so sad?” and then the carpenter told him all his troubles.

The little fellow replied, “It is very easy to help you. I will build

your bridge, and in three days it shall be finished, but only on the

condition that the first soul out of your house who passes over the

bridge shall be mine.” On hearing this, the carpenter, who then knew

with whom he had to do, shuddered with horror, though the large sum of

money enticed him, and he thought to himself, “After all, I will cheat

the devil,” and so he agreed to the contract.

Three days afterwards the bridge was complete, and the devil stood

in the middle, awaiting his prey. After having remained there for

many days, the carpenter at last appeared himself, and at that sight

the devil jumped with joy; but the carpenter was driving one of his

goats, and as he approached the bridge, he pushed her on before him,

and called out, “There you have the first soul out of my house,”

and the devil seized upon the goat. But, oh, grief and shame! first

disappointed, and then enraged, he dragged the poor goat so hard by her

tail that it came out, and then off he flew, laughed at and mocked by

all who saw him.

Since that time it is that goats have such short tails.