The Two Haystacks

One of the most beautiful and noted Alps in the Tyrol is the

Seisser-Alp, in the Eisack valley, not far from which stands the

Schlern, 8100 feet high, with its two pyramids of dolomite rock. About

four miles from the Schlern, and joining the wonderful Rosen Garten of

King Laurin, are the Rothe Wand and the Rothe Wies, out of which rise

two enormous peaks.

Upon the Schlern pilgrims resort to the Holy Cassian, and on the day of

this Saint, the fifth of August, there takes place every year a great

_fête_ in the chapel, which stands on the spot. From the parish of

Völs, which lies about nine miles lower down, the inhabitants wend on

that day up the mountain to the chapel, and all the mountaineers from

the Seisser-Alp assemble there in their Sunday’s best to _fête_ the

Saint.

One day it came into the mind of a farmer to make hay on St. Cassian’s

day. His servant reluctantly obeyed his commands, and his neighbours

kind-heartedly warned him that it was a crime to make hay on the day

of the Saint who was so universally revered. But the farmer laughed

mockingly, and said, “Be it Cassian’s day or not, the hay must up upon

the stacks;”[6] and so he worked on the faster with his servants. At

last all the hay, after having been raked together, was pitched up in

two large heaps, which are called there, “Schober,” and as the last

forkful was thrown upon the top, the two “Heuschober” (haystacks) were

turned into stone, and in this shape they still stand on the same

spot as an everlasting warning. Since that time no one has ever again

thought of working on St. Cassian’s day.

[6] “Cassiantag hin, Cassiantag her,

’S Heu muss in die Schober!”