NidelgretThe world of legens
Not far from Andermatt lies a block of white stone. It is said that, many years ago, a house where an old woman lived stood on this spot. People called her Nidelgret (Gret Nidel) because she always had more cream, or “nidel,” than fifty of the best cows could produce in an entire summer. Yet the woman owned only one cow.
One evening, a curious dairyman slipped into Nidelgret’s byre and hid in the feed box to watch the old woman milking. He watched as Nidelgret placed a large pail in front of her and made strange signs or gestures, mumbling to herself, “Witches’ spells and abracadabra, two spoonfuls from each cow.” The pail, however, immediately filled up with the most beautiful cream, right to the brim, whereupon the old woman took it on her back and left the byre.
The dairyman, having memorised the spell, ran home full of joy to test the power of the magic formula. Not satisfied with two spoons, however, he muttered instead, “Witches’ spells and abracadabra, two pails full from each cow.”
The cream flowed in such torrents that the dairyman’s stable and house were soon filled with it, so that he drowned miserably in the delicious flood. Nidelgret, meanwhile, sat on the roof of her cottage and cried, “He won’t be copying me again!” No sooner had she uttered this than a dark cloud with a terrible gale came roaring along and swept away the dairyman’s cottage – together with Gret’s.
The block of stone has stood on this spot ever since. In that stone is Nidelgret, together with the greedy dairyman, whom she must guard until Judgement Day.
Speaker: Myriam Planzer
Sound recording: Florian Arnold
